Once Upon A Handplate (Handplates AU)
by J-Farraday
Summary: My own AU of Handplates, based on the tv series Once Upon A Time. Dr Gaster, feeling the weight of his sins, decides to make everyone forget about it by de-coding the world into ours. Twenty-two years later, fate brings Noelle Doe in the mysterious town. Can she restore the previous life of the UT characters? A story about family, love, hope and redemption. (Better summary inside.)
1. Chapter 1

**Alright. This story is actually what kept me busy for almost a year! I'm a huge fan of both the tv show "Once Upon A Time" and the video game "Undertale". One day, I thought: "Hey, why not trying to make a story about the Undertale characters ending up in our (real) world, as humans, not remembering that they have been monsters, but still keeping their personnalities? Like in OUAT, they'd be "cursed" and only one person can undo that." But there was a problem; none of he Undertale characters did fit to be the curse caster. Their didn't have the motive, nor the skills to do so. One day, I came across the fan-comic "Handplates" and I instantly fell in love with it! Gaster's character is just so amazing and complex… I love this guy! So, it hit me. HP!Gaster is the only one who could do something like the Dark Curse. And so, the concept started to develop itself in my head. At first, I didn't even plan to write and actual and full fanfiction, but it happened! I was so inspired by the idea and so taken in the AU that I created that I managed to finish the story in less than a year! You heard me, the story's actually FINISHED. Which means that you won't have to wait an eternity in between chapters. All I'll have to do is to make some "cosmetic" improvements (fixing some grammar mistakes or typos). This story comes from my Deviantart page. I wasn't posting it here, in order to avoid getting too much pressure. But now, I'll post the story here too, with small improvements here and there. I know, the concept might sound bizarre, but this story is very important to my heart. So please don't be mean when/if you review. The story is actually divided in three arcs. The three shall be put in one book. There are also many side one-shots that I wrote related to this timeline. Those will be uploaded as separated stories, and in the order in which I wrote them (instead of the chronological order). Anyway, that's enough talking. So… enjoy if you can! :D**

**Disclaimer: I own nthing. The OUAT show and its concept belongs to ABC studios (Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis). Undertale belongs to Toby Fox, and Handplates belongs to Zarla.**

* * *

Noelle, a young woman put her jeans jacket over her waitress uniform and walked out of the diner she worked in. It was late in the evening and she was tired. She wished her life was easier. Noelle was a person who didn't have the opportunities others had, she never went to college. So she had no choice but having some small job. But that didn't stop her from reading a lot, to extend her knowledge. As Noelle made it to her tiny apartment, she turned the key in the lock and she entered with a sigh of relief. Finally she was home. She barely sat on her couch as she heard her doorbell. Noelle stood up with annoyance and went to open the door. She was a bit surprised to see two young children standing threshold, a boy and a girl.  
"Um... Can I help you..?"  
"Hi. You're name's Noelle, right?" - the boy asked.  
"Yes. But who are you?" - Noelle asked back.  
"My name's Piper, and he's Sam." - the girl introduced herself and her brother - "We're your children!"  
"W-wait… I don't have children…"  
"Didn't you give up two children for adoption nine years ago?" - Sam asked.  
Noelle felt her blood stop cold within her body. No… They couldn't be...  
"...I did."  
The twins just smiled at her in response. Noelle knew that her past just caught up on her. She wasn't sure what she was supposed to say or do at that moment. While she stood there dumbfounded, the two children took the opportunity to walk in without invitation. Noelle got quickly pulled out of her transe-like state and closed the door. She approached the twins and said:  
"What..? What are you doing here? How did you find me? Why-?"  
"We'll explain everything on our way." - Sam replied.  
"On our way where?" - Noelle asked, still trying to process the arrival of her children.  
"You must drive us back home." - Piper stated as if it was obvious.  
"N-no! I didn't ask for you to come here! You're not even supposed to know who I am! I-"  
"Please? It's dark outside, we cannot go home by ourselves." - Sam pointed out, then added with a sly grin - "You cannot let something bad happen to us, right?"  
Noelle glared at him, not in anger but rather in annoyance, and sighed. The boy had a point. If something happened to them, the trail would lead the police to her and she'd be in big trouble. It wasn't like she had the money to afford a lawyer.  
"Alright…" - Noelle said with a defeated tone - "Let's get over with it. Where do you live?"  
"In Undertown."  
"Hmm... Never heard of that place…" - the woman said thoughtfully.  
The twins smiled. Noelle took a few minutes to change her clothes, after what the three went out of the building and walked up to Noelle's car. It was a simple car, colored cherry. After Noelle started the car, she and the children didn't say a word to each other for some time. Except when the kids indicated her which way she had to drive. At some point, Noelle noticed the twins reading some comic book.  
"What are you reading?" - she asked curiously.  
"The reason why we came for you." - Piper answered.  
"You looked for me because of some comics?" - Noelle asked with bewildrement.  
"It's not just a comic book!" - Sam said - "The story it's telling actually happened."  
"How so?"  
"The town we live in isn't a common place. The people who live there are all characters from that comic book." - Piper explained.  
"You know that comics are not real." - Noelle said, not sure if the kids were just messing with her or if they were being serious.  
"Well, this comic is!" - Piper insisted.  
"We got enough prooves before looking for you." - Sam added - "Most of its characters are __very__ similar to the people we know in our town."  
"It's normal to associate fictional characters with people we know." - Noelle said with a slight frown - "But comics aren't real."  
"When we arrive, you'll see that we're right." - Piper said with a beaming smile.  
__"Oh gosh, what did I get myself into…?"__ \- Noelle mentally asked herself.  
They didn't pursue the debate until they finally arrived to Under Town. Noelle had to stop her car to ask the kids where they lived. Sam replied with a grin:  
"Number 66, but not telling the street name."  
"Guys, I don't have time for your games!" - Noelle said with an annoyed groan - "Do you realize it's already very late and that I'll have to face your adoptive parents?"  
"Not parents, just a father." - Piper corrected her - "And yeah, you should be worried about him. He's…"  
Piper hesitated at describing her father. Noelle raised an eyebrow at her and urged her to contine.  
"He's what?"  
"He's distant, secretive, self-centered and arrogant." - Sam described his father's traits without shame - "But on top of all that, he's an evil scientist."  
"But he can be nice too…" - Piper disagreed - "But yeah, he's the scientist from the comic book, who did many bad things."  
"Alright guys, don't think that because your father has his flaws, he's evil." - Noelle said with a nervous chuckle - "You know, he's just human. But that doesn't make him an evil person, and even less a science-fiction villain."  
"He's in fact not really a __human__." - Sam replied - "You see, almost all of the characters from the comic book are monsters. But they got de-coded from their world by our father and now, they do not remember their past life."  
"Are you saying now that all the inhabitants of this town are monsters?" - the young woman asked, trying to fight back a grin of amusement.  
"Yes, but in this world, they look like regular humans." - Piper answered.  
"Yeah, needless to say." - Noelle said with slight sarcasm.  
"That's why we brought you here, so you can help us to undo our dad's work, to code those people back into their world." - the girl explained.  
"Yeah, well, can I first drive you to your home and then we see about the de-code thing?" - Noelle suggested as she started to get a slight headache.  
"Sure thing." - Sam answered - "We'll show you the way."  
This time, the kids showed Noelle the direction to take and soon, they reached their home. The first thing that caught their attention was that there was a police car standing in front of the house. Noelle gave the twins a glare, who shrugged in apology. The three went out of the car and walked to the opened gate of the barrier that surround the house. Noelle was impressed by the size of the house. It was clear that the children she gave up had a comfy life, which reassured her. The house had a huge garden, grass surrounding the path that led to the front door. There was even a high fir growing on the left side. Noelle mentally wondered if the family decorated it for Christmas holidays. She got pulled out of her thougts as she saw the front door open and a man, wearing a white doctor coat, stepped out the house.  
"Sam..! Piper..!" - the man, presumingly their father, exclaimed as he saw his children - "You didn't return home after school… Do you realize the slightest bit the scare you gave me?! I thought something happened to you!"  
He then bent down and tightly hugged the twins, feeling relief washing over his being.  
"Thank… thank goodness… You're alright… I'm so relieved. You…" - he said then pulled away, his hands still over the kids' shoulders, and said sternly - "You are grounded. I'm not sure for how long yet."  
Something about his hands caught Noelle's attention. Even in the faint light, she could see that on each of his hands there was a big cross-shaped scar. __"His hands… What strange scars…"__ \- Noelle thought with a frown.  
"Can I at least know your lame excuse for running away?" - the doctor asked.  
"Well, guess what? We found our real parent, our mother!" - Sam said defiantly.  
"Sam! That was a bit too straight-forward…" - Piper remarked.  
"Who?! The… __mother__?"  
He looked up at Noelle, who was standing a few steps behind the twins. She was nothing special, just a young woman, wearing simple clothes. Jeans, brown boots, a black sweater with a red stripe, and a jeans coat. Her half-long brown hair was pulled up in a ponytail, and she had green eyes.  
"So... I suppose you are the m-... __her__?" - the doctor asked with a quiet tone.  
"G-guilty..." - Noelle replied, looking down.  
She could feel the sharpness of his gaze on her and she felt like she was in big trouble.  
"Piper, Sam. Go to your room." - the man ordered - "I must have a talk with that woman."  
"But..." - Piper started, slightly worried, but got shushed.  
"Quiet."  
The two kids sighed and giving Noelle one last look went inside the house. Noelle had a good look on Gaster, thanks to the moonlight and all the first floor windows being lit up. She noticed that his right eye was pale blue, without a pupil, so she could guess it was blind. She could also see two scars on his face, one going from his right eye and across his forehead, another going from his left eye and down to his upper lip. He was wearing glasses and had dark hair. Even though he didn't seem that old, he already had many grey hairs. Did he have a stressful life?  
"So. My name's Will Dean Gaster." - the man introduced himself - "__Doctor__ Gaster."  
"I'm Noelle. No titles, 'cause I'm not a... person of success or anything… haha…"  
"Pretty obvious." - Dr Gaster commented with an unfazed expression.  
Noelle's face was flushing in embarrassement. She felt so little in front of Dr Gaster. He certainly had a certain presence she could never confront just by herself. After what seemed to be a long awkward silence, W.D. Gaster finally said:  
"Why don't you come in for a moment?"  
"O-okay..." - Noelle replied nervously.  
The two went inside and Noelle couldn't help but let her eyes wander around. She had never been in an abode bigger than a two-room apartment. (The orphanage didn't count.) Gaster sent a red-haired policewoman home, since the incident was solved. Noelle then saw a woman descend the stairs. She was about a head shorter than Gaster (but she was on heels), she had blond hair styled in a boyish cut, and round brown eyes. She also was wearing glasses.  
"Y-your kids went to bed, Dr Gaster…" - she said.  
"Good. I'll have a long talk with them tomorrow." - Gaster replied with a serious tone - "You can go home now, Alicia."  
"G-good night, Dr Gaster." - Alicia said with a naturally nervous tone and then nodded awkwardly in Noelle's direction.  
Alicia left the house, so Gaster and Noelle could have a talk without getting interrupted. Gaster looked at the young woman for a moment, then asked:  
"I hope the… 'procreator' won't show up tomorrow."  
"No, that won't happen." - Noelle shook her head.  
"Good. What about you?"  
"What about me?"  
"Should I get concerned that you'd invade our life?" - Gaster asked, his expression unreadable.  
"No, of course not… Why would I give the twins for a closed adoption then?"  
"True. But now that you saw them, I hope you won't get some inappropriate ideas."  
"...I'm not, honestly." - Noelle lowered her gaze again, as she felt pressure from Gaster - "I wonder how they found me though?"  
"I wish I knew." - Gaster said as he lit up a cigarette and offered one to Noelle - "Do you want one?"  
"No, I don't smoke."  
"I'm not as concerned by how they found you as by __why__ they did." - Gaster said as he inhaled.  
"Don't be too harsh with them tomorrow. They just wanted to know their origins." - Noelle advised - "I'm sure they didn't do it to upset you."  
"Didn't they?" - Gaster asked - "They think I'm a bad father."  
Noelle didn't reply, as she got transfixed by the sight of his hands again. She even tilted her head without realizing it. Gaster noticed Noelle's stare and he somewhat felt self-conscious about his hands, but he didn't show it to her.  
"I'm a man of research, so any sort of incident can happen." - he said casually.  
"Ow, I-I'm sorry..." - Noelle looked away, her cheeks flushing.  
"The bones of my hands got severely damaged." - Gaster pursued - "Others at first thought there was no way my hands could work normally again. But I suppose a great mind can overcome any physical limitation."  
"I suppose..."  
"Same with my right eye. I might be half-blind, but I'm still very aware of details." - Gaster pursued - "I saw you stare at my face too. It's not polite, you know. Good thing you haven't get to raise Sam and Piper."  
"S-sorry... I just wondered what could've happened…"  
"Is the sight of it uncomfortable? I usually wear a lens to avoid that for my children. But as you can guess, tonight I had other concerns." - Gaster said the last part with a hint of reproach.  
"I didn't ask to be found by them, you know." - Noelle said as she crossed her arms.  
"No. Yet, they did find you, and what for? I did my best to raise them. I am a very busy man, I might not be as present as they want me to be. I might be strict sometimes, only to make them become great people. But I don't get why they see me as a bad person."  
"Hmm... I think that's just because they think you're an evil scientist or something." - Noelle chuckled nervously.  
"What?"  
"They have a comic book and they for some reason believe that all its characters are real. As if everyone in this town used to be a monster, but got 'de-coded' from their world by a scientist. That guy would be you." - Noelle explained.  
Gaster felt some invisible weight on his body. He felt as if there was not enough air. He tried to think of a way to quickly close this conversation and make Noelle leave. Thanksfully, she was the one who did that.  
"But that's not my business I guess, it's yours. Since you're their parent." - Noelle said as she made a step in the direction of the door - "I shall go now. I stayed for too long."  
"Right. Farewell, miss." - Gaster said as he tried to keep his breathing steady - "Remember, you're not supposed to-"  
"I know. I shouldn't have known where the kids live. I got it, I won't ever come back." - Noelle said.  
That was an understanding. He was grateful when she finally left the house. The timing was perfect because as soon as the door closed, Gaster started to hyperventilate, unable to control his breathing anymore. __"A book..? Would it be about..? But how?"__ \- he thought as he tried to regain control over his breathing. He went up the stairs and straight to his children's bedroom. He acted quietly in order to not wake them up. He finally found what he was looking for, it was under Sam's pillow. His eyes widened as he read the title of the comic: "Handplates". __"No... No, no, no, no…!"__ \- his mind screamed. He quickly put down the book and rushed out of the twins' room. It became even more difficult to breathe. He went to the bathroom, grabbed the sink with his both hands as if his life depended on it and looked at himself in the mirror. It was the first panic attack he ever had in twenty-two years, that is since the De-Code.

In the morning, Dr Gaster, already fully dressed for work, was lecturing his children for their behaviour of the previous day. The twins were sitting on their beds as their father talked. Piper was feeling a bit ashamed for hurting Gaster's feelings like that. Sam, on the other hand, couldn't care less what Gaster was saying.  
"Am I not enough for you two? After everything that I did for you, like any father would?" - Gaster said - "Yet, you prefer the company of the woman who abandoned you at your birth! That woman is no mother for you."  
"You're not our father either." - Sam said, his arms crossed over his chest.  
"That woman has a bad influence on you." - Gaster said, unpleased by the lack of respect from his son.  
"It's not about her, but about what you've done." - Sam replied bitterly.  
"Alright, listen. Apparently you believe some comic book to be real. But I did my best to make of you rational people. I expected more from you than confusing fiction and reality."  
The twins just stared at him without saying a word. Dr Gaster then sighed, realizing that the conversation was pointless for now, since he had to go to work. Before leaving his room, he said:  
"Forget your illusions, we live in the real world. And you two are forbidden from going outside today. I hope you'll take this day to think about your behaviour."  
With those words, he left. The kids just looked at each other in silence. They then could hear their father's car start and drive away. After a moment, Piper asked her brother:  
"Sam... Do you think Noelle will come back?"  
"I don't know, Piper." - Sam replied - "But let's hope she will."

Dr Gaster entered Griffin's, the cafe of the town, to get his daily cup of coffee. But then he froze as he saw that at one of the tables, was sitting and having breakfast… Noelle. Gaster quickly composed himself and walked towards her.  
"I thought you were long gone." - he commented.  
Noelle looked up and coughed awkwardly out of surprise. She looked down for a short moment, then looked at the man again and answered.  
"I stayed the night here. It was very late when I left your house, so I couldn't take the risk to fall asleep while driving and get myself killed in a car accident."  
"I see." - Dr Gaster said simply.  
He then quickly made his usual order, while Noelle took another sip of her tea, her eyes never leaving him. His presence didn't put her at ease. After Gaster paid for his coffee, he turned to Noelle again and said:  
"Finish your food and leave the town. I hope I made myself clear."  
Noelle only nodded in response. She really didn't know what she could say to him. It was a relief when Gaster finally left the cafe and Noelle felt all the tension leave her body. She put her head in her hands as she breathed out. It wasn't a good idea to stay for much longer. Suddenly, she heard a male voice ask.  
"Miss, are you ok?"  
Noelle looked around to see that it was a man who was sitting at the counter table, looking straight at her. He was short, had dark brown hair and blue eyes. He couldn't get called fat, but he did have a... round shape. His face also wasn't shaved.  
"Y-yes, I'm fine." - Noelle replied unsurely.  
"What did the doctor want from you?" - the man asked curiously - "It seems he doesn't like you."  
"Uh... It's a private matter." - the young woman replied as she turned her gaze away from him.  
She wouldn't share her problems with a stranger. Noelle tried to focus on her food, but then she heard the man approach her. The man apologized with an easy tone:  
"Aw, sorry. I've been nosey, right? I didn't even introduce myself! My name's Sancho."  
"Nice to meet you… My name is Noelle."  
"Noelle... It's a very pretty name." - Sancho replied as he smiled widely.  
Noelle immediately felt more at ease with him. His smile had something that permitted to relax. So she smiled timidely in response and asked:  
"You know Dr Gaster?"  
"The town isn't that big. Everyone knows him, he's considered as a genius. But he's not the most pleasant person."  
"So, you maybe know he has two kids."  
"Yeah, two adorable kiddos." - Sancho replied with a smile - "Sam and Piper."  
"Well, it turns out I'm their… mother."  
"I thought they didn't have a mo- oh!" - Sancho exclaimed as he understood - "You're the…?"  
"Yes. I am." - Noelle replied nervously - "They found me and brought me here yesterday. So, you can guess it didn't please Dr Gaster. But he has a point. I'm not the kids' parent anymore. I cannot invade their life now."  
"The doc's wrong." - Sancho said seriously, making Noelle look at him curiously - "You wanna stay, right?"  
"I... I don't know."  
"Why dontcha stay for a short while, to figure that out?" - Sancho suggested - "The doc works until late evening. Today's your only chance."  
Noelle wasn't sure what to say. On one hand, she knew better than follow an advice from a stranger. But on the other hand… she felt like Sancho was right. If she just left now… she would possibly regret it later. Noelle gave up her twins for a reason, and it was her duty to check if they got the life they deserved. So, she made up her mind. She stood up, paid her tab and went in the direction of the door.  
"What shall you do now?" - Sancho asked curiously.  
"Follow your advice, I guess." - Noelle replied before exiting the cafe.  
Noelle found the house she had been in last night, but as she stood in front of the open gate, she hesistated. Maybe it wasn't a good idea after all? She'd be in big trouble if the doctor found out. So, she nervously paced in front of the house, trying to make a decision.  
At that moment in the twins' room, Piper looked out the window and gasped as she saw a familiar figure at the gate. She called for her brother, getting excited:  
"Sam! Sam, Noelle's here!"  
"What?"  
"Look, she's standing near the gate!" - Piper exclaimed, while Sam joined her and saw Noelle too - "I knew it! I knew she'd come see us again!"  
"Undertown does have a chance, after all." - Sam said.  
The twins then opened their window and called out Noelle's name. The woman looked up and saw the kids waving at her. She waved back and smiled a little.  
"Why are you standing at the gate! Come closer!" - Sam yelled.  
"I'm not sure it's a good idea...!" - Noelle replied - "I shouldn't be here!"  
"Yet, you came!" - Piper pointed out with a happy smile.  
"I did… But if you want to talk, you should come down instead!" - Noelle suggested.  
The twins looked worryingly at each other. They had been grounded, they couldn't comply to Noelle's request. But after a few moments of hesitation, Sam said to his sister:  
"Okay, Piper. We're going out."  
"What? No, we can't!" - Piper protested - "Dad forbid us to go out."  
"If we come back home before he does, he'll never find out." - Sam said with a grin - "Come on, Piper. Think about it as if it was a secret mission."  
"Alright… But it's the only time we disobey." - Piper agreed reluctantly.  
"No. From now on, we'll __have to__ disobey. Or it will never work." - Sam said seriously.  
"Right. Let's do this, Sam." - Piper said with more enthousiasm.  
The kids looked out the window again, and saw Noelle looking at them while expecting an answer from them.  
"We'll be down in a minute!" - Sam shouted.  
Noelle smiled, and the kids closed their window. Sam and Piper quickly put their shoes and coats on and rushed down the stairs. They soon joined Noelle outside and the three started to walk away.  
"So, how are you doing?" - Noelle asked - "Wasn't your father too harsh on you?"  
"A little." - Piper replied.  
"So, about the De-Code." - Sam got to business - "You are the only person who can undo Dr Gaster's work."  
"Ok, so you said last night that all the Undertown inhabitants are actually monsters from another world, but they don't know..?" - Noelle asked.  
"Yes, they forgot their true past." - Piper said - "But even their fake past is blurred."  
"Blurred? How so?"  
"You see, when you try to ask anyone about their life, or how they got their position, their answer is always the same: 'I'm here for as long as I remember'." - Piper explained.  
"The worst part is that they think it's normal." - Sam pursued - "But I suspect the town is frozen in time."  
"What makes you believe that?" - Noelle asked.  
"Because no one ever ages here." - Sam answered.  
"Well, except for Sam and I." - Piper added.  
"I think I got the situation... But why me? Why out of all people, only I can undo your father's De-Code?" - Noelle asked.  
"You see, you're from their world too. You just don't remember it 'cause you were way too young when it happened." - Sam explained, getting a shocked look from Noelle - "But it's true."  
"Wait, wait, wait... Now you're telling me that... I am in that book too..?" - the woman scoffed in bewildrement.  
"Uh-uh. But luckily, dad didn't find out yet." - Piper said with a beaming expression - "As long as he doesn't, you're safe."  
"Okay, then why didn't I end up here with the others?" - the woman challenged the kids' theory.  
"Because you have been saved before the De-Code happened, thus you weren't affected." - Sam replied proudly.  
"And who saved me?"  
"A cute white dog!" - Piper replied with a beaming smile.  
"Alright... Uh… Is there a place where you'd like to go?" - Noelle suggested, wanting to move on from the awkward topic.  
The kids beamed at the suggestion. It was true that they needed her to help the town, but they no less wanted to spend time with their mother. Noelle, Sam and Piper sat in the cherry car, the twins deciding that they'd show Noelle around. Maybe if she visited the town, she'd decide to stay?

Meanwhile, Dr Gaster couldn't concentrate properly on his work, which was unusual. It was all because of the mother who showed up last night. But what concerned him even more was what link there was between her and the comic book. That book was also a mystery. It seemed to contain all the information about himself, his past and all the rest. How was it possible? But the worst part of all this was that his children believed in the story, which was dangerous. Did the comic book motivate them to find their biological mother? __"The mother. I need to know more about her."__ \- Gaster thought. He then dialed a number and waited for a couple of minutes before the person on the other line finally answered.  
"Hello? How can I help you, darling?"  
"Metananda, I need your services." - Gaster said, ignoring that he'd been called 'darling' - "You're always very good at finding information for your scoops."  
"But of course! Or my radio and tv programms would be so dull." - Metananda replied with pride.  
"Yes, yes, but now I need those skills to find information about one person specifically." - Dr Gaster said seriously.  
"Ooh, sounds interesting. Who would that be?"  
"The woman who gave birth to my children." - Gaster replied - "Her first name's Noelle, but I don't know her surname. She gave the twins for adoption nine years ago. I'll send you the adoption papers, so you can track from here."  
"It looks like I'm for an exciting research. I'll wait for those papers, darling!"  
"Don't call me that. And please, take this task seriously."  
"I always do, da- erm, doctor." - Metananda replied with a glamorous voice.  
With a sigh, Dr Gaster ended the conversation and proceeded to send what Metananda would need. Now that the process had been launched, the doctor could get that out of his head for a couple of hours and do his work.

Alicia walked towards her collegue's house, intending to check on the twins. Gaster told her in the morning that they would be in the house the whole day, so Alicia thought it was her duty to make sure they didn't feel too lonely. After all, she was the origin of this mess. She was the one who gave them the comic book, thinking it would help them to overcome their inner problems. But it had a reverse effect. Sam and Piper trusted their father even less, just because they took a story too seriously. Alicia couldn't help but blame herself for creating a dark climate in the little family. She had been like an elder sibling for the twins, often entertaining them with animes and other stuff. Sam and Piper adored her, and Alicia loved them too, so it pained her to see them going through crisis. She tried to help, but ended up making things worse. And she hated herself for that. Alicia opened the door of Gaster's house and called the twins' names.  
"Piper? Sam? I came to see how you're doing!"  
But she got no response. Alicia frowned, thinking that it was strange. She went up the stairs, then long the corridor to finally reach the kids' bedroom. She knocked on the closed door, but nobody answered. After a short hesitation, Alicia opened the door and gasped, seeing that the room was empty.  
"Oh no... They ran away again..?" - she said to herself.  
Just to be sure, she checked the other rooms of the house, but the twins were nowhere to be seen. __"Oh no… What do I do…? Should I inform Dr Gaster..?"__ \- she wondered as she started to sweat in nervousness - __"That's not good… He won't like this…"__ So, Alicia was just staring at her phone for a few minutes before finally deciding to dial Gaster's number.  
"Hello, Alicia."  
"Dr... Dr G-Gaster…" - the woman said nervously - "I... I-I don't know h-how to tell you this… you won't like it, b-but uh… well, Sam and Piper, they… they're not at home…"  
"What?"  
"I'm sorry...! I... It's all my fault! That's all happening because of me, I screwed your family up, I-"  
"Alicia, calm down!" - Gaster instructed her firmly - "Trust me, you are not to blame in that story. *sigh* I'll try to get home sooner, but right now isn't possible. If you care, go to the town and find them. Can you do that for me, Alicia?"  
"Y-yes, Dr Gaster... I'll find them." - Alicia replied nervously.  
"Good. I have a feeling they didn't go far. Just calm down and check the places they love to frequent. I trust you."  
"A-alright. I'll do that."  
They ended the conversation, after what Alicia rushed out of the house, intending to find the kids wherever they were.

Meantime, Noelle and the twins were sitting at the bench of the local park. It had a particular calm aura. The density of the trees made the surroundings darker, and the huge lake was surrounded by a variety of plants. The predominant type were cyan flowers, their color adding a charm to the landscape. They've been sitting in silence for a few minutes, until Noelle asked:  
"So, it's one of your favourite places?"  
"Yes, when we're here, things seem not as sad." - Piper replied with a smile.  
"But this place is cooler in the evening, when fireflies show up." - Sam added - "Too bad we have to show it to you now."  
"Hmm... What makes you so sad to often come here?" - Noelle asked curiously.  
"It's because of our father." - Sam answered bitterly - "He doesn't care for us. He claims he does, but we know the truth."  
"Is it because of the comics? Is that what makes you think that?"  
"No, it's not just the book..! It's... He's just so... ugh..!"  
"He doesn't hug us like other kids' parents do." - Piper explained - "He always paid more attention to his work than us…"  
"Why did he even adopt us if he doesn't know how to love?!" - Sam exclaimed.  
Noelle wasn't sure what to say. She saw that both Sam and Piper were on edge of tears and the sight made her want to cry too. She got reminded of her own inner pain, being an orphan too. But then, she decided that she had to snap the twins out of their lament. She stood up and faced them.  
"You two don't even realize how lucky you are…! You… you have a house where you're welcome! Your father might not be the best, but he __willingly__ made you part of his family! He wants to have you. You are desired children. Not like I..."  
Noelle couldn't prevent her tears from falling. She proceeded to wipe them away with her bare hands as Sam and Piper looked at her with compassion.  
"I... I wasn't desired..!" - Noelle pursued in a croaked voice - "My parents abandoned me at a gas station when I was only three! They… they didn't have the guts to properly present me to an orphanage… those cowards…"  
"No... no, that's not what happened." - Piper hurried to take Noelle's hand in hers - "They didn't do that. You appeared randomly at the gas station when your family was saving you from the De-Code!"  
"I thought it was a white dog who saved me." - Noelle commented with a sad chuckle.  
"Him too. It's complicated."  
Noelle managed a tiny smile. Her heart melted, seeing how Piper was attempting to make her feel better. Sam grabbed Noelle's other hand and said:  
"We all will make it. If you stay, not just us but you too will be happy again."  
Noelle nodded before sniffing one last time. She didn't believe the stuff the twins believed in, but she knew that if they did, they probably were not that happy with their father.  
"Sam! Piper! There you are..!"  
The three people saw that it was Alicia. She had a relieved expression as she ran towards them.  
"Alicia? What's wrong?" - Piper asked.  
"You weren't at home, so I looked for you everywhere..!" - Alicia replied breathing heavily, having been running - "Your father asked me to bring you back home…"  
"Oh no! You told him!" - Sam explaimed as he sighed in annoyance.  
"I'm sorryyy..." - Alicia apologized, immediately realizing that she did something that bothered her favourite kids - "When I came to your house to check on you and saw you were gone, I panicked, I just didn't know what to do…! So I called him, and-"  
"It's alright. You did the right and responsible thing." - Noelle reassured the nervous woman.  
"Really...? Ugh, then why doesn't it feel that way?" - Alicia asked herself, then realized they had never been introduced to each other - "By the way, I'm Alicia, Dr Gaster's collegue and friend."  
"My name's Noelle. And I'm, uh…"  
"I-I know. Dr Gaster told me about you." - Alicia replied shyly.  
The group then walked back in the direction of Gaster's house. When they arrived, the doctor was already there. He ordered the kids to go inside, but his expression was more annoyed than angry. Alicia went in too, to keep an eye on the twins. Gaster on the other hand needed to have a word with Noelle. He stared at her for a few moments, until Noelle couldn't take it and said:  
"Look, I swear I had no idea they've been grounded. If I knew, I wouldn't-"  
"I believe you. Sam and Piper got too drawn by you, so it cannot be helped. I know the feeling, since after all I am a brilliant scientist and others often get caught up by my charisma, especially young ladies…" - Gaster noticed Noelle raise an eyebrow at him - "But I digress. I want to make myself clearer. You don't seem to have understood me well the first time."  
"I just wanted to be sure-"  
"No. If you really cared about Sam and Piper's well being, you wouldn't have given them up in the first place." - Gaster said firmly - "But you did. So now, you have no rights regarding them, because you're not their parent anymore. Truth be told, you have never been. They don't understand that yet, but you should. If you still don't get it, I'll be straight: get out of the town."  
"You know what's funny?" - Noelle asked after a short silence - "The more you ask me to leave, the more I am __determined__ to stay."  
"Don't you dare..."  
"I really have no bad intentions towards you, Dr Gaster. Honestly. But... if I gave the twins up, it was because I wanted someone to give them a life I couln't give. I'm sorry to say that, but I have the right to know if they did get it. And now, seeing that they believe in fiction more than in reality makes me wonder if they're happy."  
"After nine years of absence, you remembered they existed." - Gaster commented sarcastically - "If you really grew to care after only a few hours together, so you'll make the right decision to leave. Get out of their lives before they get hurt. Good day, miss."  
Gaster made clear the conversation was over. He went inside the house, closing the door behind, and leaving Noelle to stand thoughtful. Dr Gaster didn't seem to be as bad as the kids saw him, but Noelle could sense that he had things to hide. Noelle's mind was made up. She would stay in Undertown. Not forever, temporarily, just to make sure the kids would be okay with Gaster. The young woman walked away from the house, in no particular direction. She had many things to sort out in her head. Suddenly, she came across a cute furry white dog. The animal was staring at her, almost… curiously? Noelle couldn't help but smile, because she loved dogs. She knelt down to him and petted his head gently.  
"Hello little guy. What's your name? Oh, but you can't tell me, you can't talk, hehe." - Noelle said with a funny voice, as she always acted silly around dogs.  
Noelle noticed that the dog was wearing a police vest, but that didn't stop her from petting him.  
"Oh, so you're a policeman. Nice to meet you, Officer. My name's Noelle." - she said with a smile.  
As soon as she said her name, the dog started to wag his tail. The dog's expression even seemed more ecstatic. Suddenly, a voice called for the dog.  
"Toby..!"  
The white police dog ran to the voice, and Noelle saw two police officers further down the street. Noelle couldn't see their faces properly, since they were too far from her, but she could see that one of them was a woman with red hair styled in a high ponytail, and the other was a man with black hair and was wearing a red scarf that contrasted with his uniform. She smiled as she could hear the man scold the dog for being 'annoying' by running away. Noelle kept walking until she found her car. She questioned one last time if she should go or stay. She decided the latter. Knowing that Sam and Piper might need her filled her with determination.

* * *

**A/N: FILE SAVED! (lol) **

**So, more concretely about the AU! Dr W.D. Gaster's secret got at some point discovered, which led to his rejection by other monsters. Years passed and Gaster reached a point where the weight of his sins became too heavy to bear. So, he decided to work on something called "De-Code". By de-coding the Undertale characters, he takes everyone in our world. A world where there's no magic, etc. Our world. Once there, monsters don't remember their true identities, even though they have names similar to their true ones. Gaster changed his own first name too, but he kept his original last name. His name's now Will Dean Gaster. In our world, no one remembers about Gaster's sins, so he can now live in peace, talk with others without problem, everyone is nice and respectful towards him again. It's important to say that the little town the UT characters live in is isolated, they barely have contact with the rest of the world. And time stands still. So no one ages. Gaster is seemingly content with his new life, but years passed and he realized that he had sort of a void within his soul (lol) he cannot explain. His friend and collegue, Alicia (Alphys), suggested that it was perhaps even though he had a comfy life, he had no one to share it with. He basically needed a family. After long thinking, Dr Gaster decided to adopt a child. He ended up adopting twins, who he strangely felt some connection (I wonder why… *wink, wink*). He named them Sam and Piper. (Sounds familiar, doesn't it?) But there's always a catch with things like de-coding. It's not permanent. If the right person, the Savior, comes, it's the end of Gaster's work. The UT characters will be coded back into their universe/"the game" again. Gaster didn't worry much about it, confident of himself. He raised the twins until they started to notice that nobody besides them ever changed, and found out they've been adopted. They decided to find their biological mother, which they did. They basically forced her to drive them back home, which resulted in her meeting Dr W.D. Gaster.**

**A few things about Gaster. He doesn't hug the twins very often, since he's a distant person and all, like his canon self. But in this first chapter he did, because he got alarmed by their disappearance and then got relieved that they were okay. Oh, and this is the only instance when he doesn't wear his lens to cover his blind eye. And he didn't take the decision to de-code the world spontaneously. He had long thought about it and did it only when he couldn't bear it anymore. But who is he actually trying to make forget: the others or himself..?**

**A little remark regarding Mettaton. When I first saw him in his EX form, I immediately associated him with some asian pop star. That's why his De-Coded alter-ego would be Asian. I looked through Japanese names first, but none of them sounded right to me. So, I gave him a Thaï name instead, Metananda.  
The Annoying Dog is important in that story. Don't forget that he represents Toby Fox, which means he's sort of the "god" of Undertale, since he's its creator. He was the first being to code that universe, so it made sense that he could save one person from the De-Code. **

**Noelle's an OC I created for this story, but she comes from the UT universe. You'll have to read further to find out who she is! :) By the way, her name comes from the french word "Noël", which means "Christmas". **


	2. Chapter 2

**This chapter is extremely short, I'm sorry. The reason is that like I have explained, at first OUAH was supposed to be merely a concept. It was only when the ideas solidified that it became a fanfic. But since this chapter's short, I'll upload the next one today to compensate! ^^ So, read and enjoy!**

* * *

It was a calm night in Undertown. Lamps were illuminating the empty streets. No cars were driving, no people were walking. Just one person could be seen, a policeman, whose name was Paxton, doing his patrol. There was nothing unusual, like most of the days. In a place like Undertown, the job of a policeman could seem boring, but Paxton loved his job nonetheless, because it was a honorable one. Then, something caught his attention. It was a cherry car, parked at a wrong place. The policeman quickened his pace, and as he approached the car, he was surprised to see a woman sleeping in it. He knocked at the window, which woke the woman up. Noelle rose her head and frowned when she saw a police officer. He was a tall and lean man, he had black hair and blue eyes. He was also wearing a red scarf around his neck. Noelle recognized him being the same man she saw earlier with the dog. She opened the window, and the policeman said:  
"You can't park your car here."  
"Oh... I must've been so sleepy that I failed to notice." - Noelle replied as she realized that she indeed parked her car where it was forbidden - "Ugh… I guess it means I get a fine…?"  
The police officer looked at the woman and he could tell by the look on her face that she was physically and perhaps emotionally tired. So he didn't have the heart to sanction her. He sighed and replied with a look of sympathy:  
"A simple warning will do this time."  
"Thank you…" - Noelle said with a sigh of relief - "Because my budget is short right now."  
"Hmm… Do you mind me to ask why you're sleeping in your car?" - the policeman asked curiously.  
"Like I said, I don't have much money. I can't afford a hotel room."  
"Oh, so you're new in the town? I don't remember the last time we had visitors. Well, there must have been visitors, but I can't recall… Anyway, I hope you'll have a good time in Undertown."  
"It'll depend on a certain doctor." - Noelle chuckled to herself, and as the police officer gave her a curious look, she explained - "I meant Dr Gaster. His children got curious to know who their mother was… so here I am now…"  
"Oh right, they have ran away recently. So, you're the person who brought them back home."  
"Yeah, that's right. So… I decided to stay here for a little while… But until I get a job, I'll have to sleep in my car."  
"No, no, that won't do. You'll catch a cold, you don't even have a blanket!" - Paxton protested - "I mean, it's also dangerous! You'd be the number one target for robbers!"  
"It's not as if I have a choice." - Noelle shrugged.  
"Miss, you __always__ have a choice, just make the right one."  
"How can I make it if I have no money?" - Noelle asked.  
"By accepting my help!" - Paxton replied with a smile, then took out a pen and a piece of paper and started to write something down - "Here's the adress of an inn. The innkeeper knows me well, so just tell her you came from Officer Paxton and she'll send me the bill."  
"Oh... I appreciate your help, but… uh… I cannot accept." - Noelle felt embarrassed - "You're a police officer and all... Plus, I don't know when I could pay you back…"  
"I may be an officer, but I'm no less a person just like yourself. And I, Officer Paxton, am a person with principles!" - the policeman said proudly - "So, when I see a person sleeping in a cold car, I can't just stand and watch! As for the payment, let's settle the question at some other time. Don't worry too much about it."  
Noelle looked at the officer, then at the paper he was handing her. After a moment of hesitation, she accepted the paper and breathed with a grateful smile:  
"Thank you..."  
"You're welcome, miss. Please, be more attentive where you park your car."  
"I will." - Noelle promised.  
She started the car, but hadn't closed her window yet.  
"Have a good night, visitor."  
"It's Noelle." - the woman replied with a smile.  
"A rare and beautiful name." - Paxton commented, smiling in return.  
Noelle then closed the window and drove away. Officer Paxton stood there for a moment, feeling content. He knew what people were saying about him; that he was too nice towards people, which wasn't always a good trait for his job. But he didn't care. Paxton helped a person tonight. He didn't sanction her for the infringement, yet he knew he did the right thing.

* * *

**A/N: So, about Papyrus. It had taken me a long while to find him a name that felt right. There are no names that are similar to "Papyrus", but I needed at least something that starts by "pa". I came across "Paxton", which derives from the greek "pax", which means "peace". I immediately thought that name fits, because it's related to Papyrus' pacifist nature. **


	3. Chapter 3

**And here comes another chapter already! (Since the previous one was very short.) This one is important, because it reveals who Noelle is! Read and enjoy! And if you don't like the revelation… please be understanding. _"**

* * *

It was a Monday morning like another in Undertown. Everyone went to do their job or other activity, like usually. Taylor Underwood arrived at the school the earliest, to prepare herself for the day of teaching. Seargeant Ondine, the head of the police station of the town, was assigning tasks to the officers. Mayor Anderson Underwood was walking calmly in the direction of his office, saying 'hello' to every passer-by he'd meet on his way. He was a smiling and benevolent man, the people of his town loved him. Anderson came across Officer Paxton, who was once again tasked to walk the police dog, Toby. The animal was a smart one, but sometimes disobedient. The mayor couldn't help but chuckle as the officer groaned in annoyance at another of Toby's antics. Griffin's cafe was already open, and its owner was working restlessly. Many people at this time would come for breakfast, including the usual customer, Sancho. The man would spend most of his time there, being unemployed. The man thanked Mr Griffin as he served him his plate and started to eat. Like usual, Sancho put ketchup in his eggs, something the cafe owner never understood. Who ate ketchup in the morning? At that moment, Noelle entered the cafe and sat at the counter table. As she made her own order, Sancho asked her:  
"I see you decided to stay."  
"Huh..?" - Noelle turned around and smiled at the familiar face - "Yeah... I did."  
"How did the doc react to your decision?" - Sancho asked.  
"Uhh… He probably doesn't know yet." - Noelle replied awkwardly.  
After she made her decision to stay, she spent the whole next day in the inn, recovering a few hours of sleep (that she lost due to recent events) as well as settling some things. If she planned to stay in the town, she needed to plan her near future. It was only in the evening, when she had decided to have a small walk, that she had briefly met the twins. They were playing at the playground, under Alicia's oversight. Noelle and the twins chatted just briefly, but it made the kids happy. Noelle doubted Sam and Piper, or Alicia, told Dr Gaster about the short encounter. It was now a matter of time before the man would find out. Right when Noelle thought about it, Dr Gaster entered the cafe. His face darkened as he saw Noelle sitting there… once more. With a sigh, he said:  
"I guess you decided to ignore my words. But I half expected your behaviour."  
"So, you're not asking me to leave again?"  
"No, it's pointless anyway. I'm just going to wait. Eventually, Sam and Piper will understand that you have nothing to give them. Then, you'll have no other choice but leave."  
"Let's wait and see, I guess." - Noelle replied, trying to sound casual.  
Dr Gaster didn't say anything. He walked out as soon as he got and payed for his coffee. Sancho looked at Noelle and then complimented her for her calm attitude.  
"You're brave, I like it." - he said with a smile.  
"No, I'm not. In fact, I was afraid. I'm just lucky I could conceal it." - Noelle replied, shaking her head.  
"Well, I believe that's bravery."  
Noelle just shrugged and took a sip of the tea Griffin just brought her. When she finished her breakfast, she wondered what she should do next. She went outside and she gasped in surprise as soon as she saw the twins across the street, looking straight at her. With a sigh, she walked up to them, asking with bewildrement:  
"Guys, aren't you supposed to be at school?"  
"School starts in ten minutes!" - Sam replied - "So, we gotta hurry to make it in time!"  
"You'll accompany us, won't you?" - Piper pleaded.  
"All right…" - Noelle sighed but with a shadow of a smile - "Let's go, or we'll get in trouble."  
The three people were walking on a rapid pace, but the kids wouldn't stop babbling about the De-Code. They explained that they managed to associate many people with the characters of their comic book and they were trying to make a list.  
"Why would you need a list?" - Noelle asked.  
"Not for us, for you!" - Piper replied - "So you understand better who you're talking to."  
"O-okay..."  
"But we also need that list for later use." - Sam added - "Before starting our secret operation, we must know for sure who we can or cannot trust."  
"Makes sense…"  
The kids pursued, saying that they already identified some people, but their work wasn't done yet. Noelle just nodded at their words. Soon, they arrived near the school building. They arrived about two minutes before the ring. Before the kids went inside, they requested Noelle to come pick them after school, so they can discuss some serious matter related to their mission.  
"Alright... I'll be here."  
"Sweet! See ya later, Noelle!" - the twins yelled in unison.  
Noelle smiled as she watched the kids enter the building. Mrs Underwood, who witnessed the scene, approached Noelle. She said, with a relieved expression:  
"Wow. I never thought I'd see them so joyful again."  
"I did nothing, they're the ones who found me." - Noelle replied.  
"Yes, but you could have left. But you didn't." - Taylor pointed out, then handed her palm for a shake - "You must be the mother I heard about. My name is Taylor Underwood, the kids' teacher."  
"Nice to meet you. I am Noelle Doe." - Noelle replied politely as she shook the elder woman's hand - "But uh... how did you hear about me?"  
"I heard about you from my husband Anderson. He's the mayor of the town." - Taylor replied, making Noelle's eyes round in surprise - "He got a phone call from Dr Gaster yesterday, he was sharing his concerns about your arrival. He and us are good friends for uh… for a long while now."  
"Oh... I hope you don't think too wrong of me. Ruining their family is the last thing I want."  
"Don't worry, nothing such crossed my mind. I'm actually glad Sam and Piper found their mother." - Taylor replied gently.  
At that moment, the school bell rang. The two women knew they had to cut their conversation short.  
"I guess your job awaits you." - Noelle said with an awkward chuckle.  
"Yes. But I'd be glad if we could talk some other time." - Taylor replied with a smile - "It was nice to meet you, Miss Doe."  
"D-don't call me that. My first name's fine."  
"Oh. Then, it was nice to meet you, __Noelle__." - Mrs Underwood corrected.  
"It was nice to meet you too, Mrs Underwood."  
The two parted ways. Taylor entered the building, while Noelle went in the direction of the town center. There were many things the young woman had to do, like finding a housing.

Meantime at Anderson Underwood's office, the mayor was having a conversation with his daughter, Francesca Underwood. She was yet a young person, she had a nice bob haircut and a slightly tanned skin. Francesca had barely finished her studies, but she had no idea what she wanted to do next, which stressed her alot. Anderson was trying to reassure her, telling her that hesitation was normal, especially at her age.  
"There's no need to rush with a choice, Fran." - Anderson said - "You're yet so young, take your time to discover what you like."  
"Am I not supposed to already know by now..?" - the young woman asked - "I can't even decide if I want to stay meanwhile in our house, or if I should move elsewhere already."  
"Whatever you choose, it doesn't matter." - the mayor took his daughter's hand in his - "I alredy told you that whether you live with us or elsewhere, our relationship won't change."  
"I don't know… It's just that I always have that feeling… as if whenever there's a choice to make, chosing one path over another could drastically affect the future. For the best or for the worse. I can't foresee which one is the best, it makes me anxious."  
"Fran..." - her father sighed - "That's part of life, you cannot escape choices. You're afraid you'll make a wrong choice, but it's only if you make mistakes that you'll learn and gain experience."  
Francesca nodded sadly. She knew her old man was right. Anderson pursued:  
"But why does the housing choice scare you so much? You know that if you have problems, your mother and I will help you."  
"I know, but… What do you advise?"  
"Well, your mother certainly would prefer if you stayed. But I think it would be good for you to try live on your own. Of course, if you decide to stay, I'll be only happy to have you around longer." - Anderson chuckled, then he said seriously - "But I cannot decide for you. It's a decision you alone must make."  
A silence followed. Then, Francesca smiled faintly at her father, and said:  
"You're right. I shall decide by this evening."  
"I never said you had to decide today. Pressure won't help-"  
"I know, Dad." - Francesca interrupted him - "But I was thinking about it for a while, and I know someone who's leasing an apartment. I'm going to visit it today, and if I feel convinced, then… I guess I could give it a try."  
"That's a better attitude, my girl." - Anderson said - "Have a good day, and please try also to relax. You've been stressing out a lot lately."  
"I'll try, Dad. Have a good day you too." - Fancesca said as she kissed her father's bearded cheek before walking out of the office.  
It didn't take long until Fancesca arrived at the building. It was a simple grey building, nothing fancy. There wasn't even a lift, but that didn't bother the woman at all. Despite being the mayor's daughter, she wasn't a demanding person. She went up to the third floor, where lived Nathan Blake, owner of two apartements. He lived in one of them and tried to lease the other. Francesca got surprised to see the man talking to a young woman, who seemingly was interested in the apartment too.  
"I'm sorry... I would like to contract the lease now, but… a friend of mine is interested by the offer… I don't want to deceive her, I promised I'd wait for her final answer…" - Nathan said with a sad (and maybe a bit depressed?) tone.  
Nathan had never been a joyful person and any inconvenience would bring his mood down. He had slightly messy blond hair and dark circles under his eyes. He was wearing very simple clothes, as well as DJ headphones around his neck, and he seemed to be at his thirties. Nathan then noticed Francesca who just arrived, and said:  
"Oh... there she is. Maybe the question will be settled now… or maybe not… It depends, I guess…"  
Noelle turned around to face Francesca. She felt awkward due to the situation.  
"Uh... hi? You're... the person who wants this apartment too?" - Noelle asked - "It's uh… difficult to find something to rent in this town, right?"  
"Considering that we never have visitors around, leasing is economically unattractive." - Francesca replied as much awkwardly.  
"Makes sense. So… how much do you want the flat?"  
"Well… It's hard to say. I was considering to leave the parental nest, and… it might be my only chance..? Is that why you want the flat too?"  
"N-no, my story's a bit different. I'm new in the town and I want to stay for some time."  
"You're new around? Oh, but then I should let you take the apartement. It would be rude of me to take it for myself."  
"But you found it first. You should take it." - Noelle protested.  
"Huh. What a funny situation. What do we do then?" - Francesca frowned.  
"I-I don't know..." - Noelle shrugged.  
"...You could share… as room-mates..." - Nathan suggested, making the two girls look at him - "Oh no… I suggested something inappropriate…? Sorry…"  
"No, no, you didn't." - Francesca hurried to reassure him - "I think it's a good idea."  
"You do? You'd share the flat with me? We don't even know each other."  
"I was hesitating about living on my own, to be honest. But I guess if I cohabit with someone, I'll be less anxious."  
"You have a point. Besides, I'll need someone's help to settle down." - Noelle agreed, liking to idea of a room-mate - "I'm Noelle, by the way."  
"Francesca." - the young woman introduced herlsef as the two shook their hands - "But you can call me 'Fran'."  
The two smiled at each other, feeling that they'd get along very well.  
The afternoon went well for the two young women. They signed the contract, and then they spent their time in the town, walking and chatting to know each other a little. They discovered that they both loved wear striped shirts. Noelle told her story, how the twins who she gave up for adoption brought her in Undertown (without mentioning the comic book part) and how she wanted to make sure they were happy with their adoptive father. Fran was fascinated by the story and she quickly understood that it was about the Gasters.  
"I know Sam and Piper a little." - she said - "My parents invite Dr Gaster for dinner occasionally, so he obviously comes with his children."  
"Your parents know him? Wait… Are you by any chance the mayor's daugher?" - Noelle asked, remembering the conversation she had with Taylor in the morning.  
"Yes, I am." - Fran replied shyly - "I don't like to boast about it, that's why I didn't say anything."  
"Amazing..." - Noelle gasped - "I saw your mother this morning. She seems friendly."  
"She is. I'll introduce you to my father someday. You'll like him too, he's a sweet guy."  
"Uh... How is Dr Gaster? I mean, what kind of a person is he?" - Noelle then asked.  
"How to say... He's... not easy to describe. Dr Gaster is smart, his work is admirable. He's in very good terms with my parents. They apparently helped him during harsh times long ago. But… even though he gets along with my parents… it seems he doesn't like me very much."  
"Why is that?"  
"I wish I knew." - Francesca replied with a shrug - "It's like I'm not worthy his attention, or something…"  
"If it'll make you feel any better, he doesn't like me either."  
Francesca chuckled nervously at that and the two women went on to talk about other things. At the end of the afternoon, the two women walked in the direction of the school. The bell rang shortly after they reached the building. Soon, Noelle saw the twins emerge from inside the building and waved at them. The kids' eyes widened for some reason and they quickly whispered something to each other with excited grins. They then walked up to Noelle and said hello to both her and Fran.  
"Hello guys." - Fran said with a smile.  
"How was school today?" - Noelle asked the twins.  
"Our day was good." - Sam replied.  
"Where do you two know each other from?" - Piper asked the two women curiously.  
"Since I decided to stay, I'll rent an apartment. Fran and I will be room-mates." - Noelle explained.  
"I'll go talk to my mother about it. Bye, Noelle." - Francesca said before walking in the direction of the school building.  
"Bye, Fran." - Noelle replied, before looking down at the twins - "Why do you two look so excited?"  
"You don't even know what just happened to you!" - Sam said excitingly.  
"You met your mom!" - Piper almost squealed.  
"I... what?"  
The twins led Noelle a bit further away from the school and the crowd of people. As they found a quieter place, Piper took the comic book out of her backpack and showed a page representing a human child in a striped sweater.  
"See that kid? It's Francesca, but her true name is Frisk." - Piper explained.  
"And she's your mother." - Sam added.  
"Guys, Fran cannot be my mom." - Noelle shook her head with an amused grin - "She'd have to be at least fourty-five years old to be my mother. But she's young, like myself."  
"Time stands still in Undertown, remember?" - Piper reminded her.  
"Oh, right. Nobody ages." - Noelle nodded her head slowly, but her expression showed clear disbelief.  
The twins didn't catch the sarcasm though, so they went on about how good it was that Noelle finally met her own mom and that it was a matter of time before things would go better for the town.

Dr Gaster was sitting at his working desk and smoking. It was late evening, the sun almost completely set. The ring of the doorbell pulled Gaster out of his thoughts, so the doctor stood from his chair and walked to the door. He was relieved to see that it was Metananda. Gaster opened the door, and the local tv presenter smiled to him, holding up a folder.  
"I found the info about that Noelle girl, as you asked."  
"Good. Come in, you'll show me in my study."  
The two men went to Dr Gaster's study, and as Metananda sat down, Gaster closed the door. The doctor then sat on his own chair and asked the Asian guy to show him whatever he found.  
"The first impression that woman gave me was dull. She's nothing special, she's a simple waitress. No success in her professional life, neither in her personal life, that is she is single." - Metananda said as he opened his folder - "But that's not much of a surprise, she's only twenty-five years old."  
"Twenty-five?" - Gaster asked, then frowned as his mind quickly did the math - "My children are nine, which means…"  
"That's right, darling! She gave birth to them when she was only sixteen!" - Metananda confirmed.  
"A teen who forgot about protection, I see." - Gaster commented, ignoring the 'darling' part - "Anything else about her?"  
"Like I said, she's a dull persona. Mostly. You see, she was still in the foster system when she gave birth. So, you can guess why she couldn't keep the twins. Noelle Doe is an orphan herself. This led her to be told about in the press when she was only three!"  
"How so?" - Dr Gaster raised his eyebrown in curiousity.  
"She had been abandoned in the middle of nowhere by her parents when she was three. Of course the police tried to find the girl's parents, but the guys disappeared without a trace. Hence the girl's last name, 'Doe'. She was too young to know her true last name, that's why her parents were never found." - Metananda explained - "I even got a copy of the old newspaper!"  
The glamourous-dressed man took out of his folder the copy of the press article telling the sad story of an abandoned child. Dr Gastor took it and read it quickly. The child had been found crying and all alone near a gas station. The owner of the station had immediately called the police, who took the matter in their hands. The article explained the same thing Metananda told in big lines. There was also a photo of the girl, muffled in a blanket, sitting in a police car. Gaster looked at the photo, and his eyes slightly widened. He then looked up at Metananda and said:  
"Well, thank you, Metananda. I won't take any more time from you."  
"Yes, I still have tomorrow's show to prepare." - Metananda replied as he stood up - "And even though there wasn't much about Noelle Doe, it's good news. It means she's nothing to worry about."  
"...Right. Good evening, Metananda." - Dr Gaster said.  
When the local tv star left his house, Gaster immediately walked up to his bookshelf and proceeded to remove the books from the upper rack. He had to check something. His hands trembled slightly, but he ignored that. With the books removed, he had access to his secret safe. In that safe, he kept some things nobody could know about. Those were things related to his past, to his other life. He took out of the safe a box and put it on his desk. He opened it, revealing items no person would truly understand if they saw those. There were two metal plates, labelled 'W.D.G. 1-S' and 'W.D.G. 2-P'. There were also a couple of pictures placed in frames. One of them represented himself, in his true skeletal appearance, and two goat monsters, Asgore and Toriel. There was another one, with him and Dr Alphys. But those weren't the photos that interested him at that moment. Gaster found at the bottom of the box what he was looking for. It was a simple white envelope, which had once been opened. The doctor knew what was inside, but he feared to look at it again. But he let out a short sigh and took that thing out. It was a photo of a little girl, no older than three years. She was sitting on the bed of golden flowers, oblivious to the camera. She had short brown hair, with a single tiny bunch on the top of her head, and curious green eyes. She was wearing a dress with the Delta Rune on the front. Only it wasn't purple, like Toriel's, but salmon-red. Gaster felt his breathing quicken against his will. Despite the poor quality of the picture on the old newspaper, there was no doubt that it was the same girl. The doctor remembered well the day when he found the envelope at his door about twenty-two years ago, before the De-Code. He remembered his own confusion; who would send him something? He recalled how he opened the envelope for the first time and how surprised he was when he looked on the photo of a human child. But what shocked him the most was, when he saw two words written on the back of that photo: YOUR GRANDDAUGHTER. Dr Gaster's hands trembled that day, and they were trembling again now. The doctor sat on his chair and put his head in between his hands. What were the chances? Was it some cruel prank the fate played at him? Dr Gaster couldn't think straight anymore. But he knew for sure that getting rid of Noelle would be more difficult than first anticipated.

* * *

**A/N: About Frisk first. I decided to name her Francesca because it means "free". And it represents well the fact that you have a vast freedom of choice when you play undertale, the ending the Underground receives is completely up to you. Plus, she had freed monsterkind. And I also long struggled about the personality I'd give to Frisk's alter-ego. Nothing seemed right, until I realized that the best way to represent her in-game character, it was to make her a person who has an anxiety when facing life choices. After all, that's what Frisk basically is - a number of possible choices. Because any choice you make when you play UT, will eventually affect the ending. And Francesca's struggle with the choice to either stay in her parental house longer or move to another place represents the final choice you have in the True Pacifist route (stay with Toriel or part ways).**

**Now about why I decided to make Noelle Frisk and Papyrus' child. I know that many people will disagree with my pairing choice. But there are several reasons why.**  
**-I ship Papyrisk. (Yeah, go ahead Frans shippers, throw bricks at me! I'm not scared!) I know Papyrus friendzoned Frisk. But don't forget that Frisk was too young. Then, I like to imagine friends growing closer as years pass. And I just think the two look so cute together. 3 I love cute couples. So yeah, I ship them. I do since that flirting option and I just couldn't help it. I have a dozen of reasons to ship them, but I won't waste my time to make an essay about it, since nobody cares anyway, lol. **  
**-Noelle is supposed to be what's called a "Savior". A Savior is supposed to be a very powerful being. Now, imagine a person born from a human and a monster. Noelle has Determination AND magic abilities! Imagine how powerful her soul is! If anyone can undo the De-Code, it would be a person like her.** **:)**  
**-The conflict is more interesting when Noelle is related to Gaster. Since she's his granddaughter, it makes everything more difficult for him to deal with. And who knows, maybe Noelle's the key to his salvation?**

**So yeah, Noelle is basically an hybrid. If you're wondering how reproduction between a human and a skeleton would work, well… I see it something like soul reproduction. Like, it's magic. It shall be better explained later in this story and in a one-shot that I have (that I'll upload at the right time).**  
**Also, Noelle doesn't like her last name, because it reminds her of the fact she's abandoned. That's why she usually doesn't say it when she introduces herself. With Taylor it was an exception, because she was a polite talking person, so Noelle introduced herself giving her full name.**


	4. Chapter 4

**This chapter is a very friendly one, without too much happening. But from the next one, some problems shall start. There must be some moments of peace and calm before the storm, right? And again, this one is not very long... but like I said, it's because this story was first meant to merely be a concept. I promise that chapters get longer as the story progresses. Enjoy!**

* * *

When Francesca had informed her parents her decision to move in another place, it elicited slightly different reactions. Anderson was proud of his daughter's decision, while Taylor was a bit worried that her child would encounter serious problems. It was a reaction Francesca did expect. Her mother tended to be overprotective at times. But the young woman reassured her parents that she would share the apartement with Noelle. The idea that Noelle would be the room-mate immediately relieved Taylor.  
"She seems to be a lovely girl, so it's good to know you'll live with her." - Taylor said.  
"I agree that if you live with another person, it'll be an even better experience and less stressful for you." - Anderson added - "I hope I'll get to meet her?"  
"Of course, I'll introduce you to her after we'll move our things in the apartement." - Fran replied.  
And so, the packing started. Fran packed many of her personal things in boxes and a suitcase. But even though she would take many of her things with her, it wasn't enough to empty her room. There was stuff Fran wouldn't need anymore, plus she wanted to have her room be still enjoyable if she ever decided to sleepover in her parents' house. It was a good thing that the apartment already had furnitures, so it was something neither she or Noelle had to worry about.  
However, Noelle needed to retrieve her personal belongings from her old apartment. The young woman walked up to her car and before she could sit inside, she heard the twins' voices behind her.  
"Where are you going?" - Sam asked curiously.  
"Can we come with you?" - Piper asked with slight excitement.  
"No guys, I'm going alone." - Noelle replied - "Because I'll drive back to my old apartement."  
"What?" - Piper exclaimed - "You're leaving the town?!"  
"After everything we told you?!" - Sam added.  
"I'm not leaving as in… leaving. I'm just going to pack my stuff. Then I'll come back here." - Noelle reassured the kids.  
The twins sighed in relief. Noelle sat inside her car, closed the door and started the motor. Sam and Piper waved at her before she drove away. When Noelle arrived at her old apartement, she didn't stay for long. It was because she didn't have many belongings, so the packing was quick. Everything could fit in just one big valise. She contacted her former lessor to inform that she was leaving the place. Since the lessor couldn't come immediately, he instructed her to leave the keys at the table, what Noelle did. When the woman was driving away, she had no regrets, because she had nothing in her life that she would miss. Truth be told, it has always been this way. When she came back to Undertown, she parked her car near the building and then proceeded to drag her valise up the stairs. When she finally made it to the third floor, she saw that the door of her apartment was open, so she guessed that Fran entered the flat short ago. Noelle dragged her valise inside and got greeted by her new roomie.  
"Oh, hi. Your suitcase seems heavy… Is there more things down? I could help carry it…"  
"No, that's all."  
"You mean, really? This is all of your belongings?" - Fran asked with a frown of disbelief.  
"Yeah. I never had many things." - Noelle replied - "Just my clothes, a couple of books and mugs."  
"Mugs?" - Fran asked with an amused expression - "Really?"  
"I love to collect mugs." - Noelle replied.  
The two women proceeded to unpack their belongings. The process was fast for Noelle, since she didn't have many things. So, when she was done, she helped Francesca with hers. It took a couple of hours before everything was put in its place. The two women sat on the couch, glad that it was over. Noelle turned on the tv, and saw a glamourous dressed Asian guy leading a talk-show. She turned to her room-mate, asking:  
"Never saw him on tv before. Is it a local channel, or something?"  
"Yes, it is." - Francesca confirmed - "And the guy's name is Metananda. He's probably the richest guy in Undertown."  
Noelle nodded as she kept watching the show. She found the guy being quite entertaining and maybe 'charming' in his own way. But she wondered how he was like in real life. By judging on his looks and mannerisms, Noelle could see two possibilities. Either his looks reflected exactly what he was inside, which meant he was a star driven by money and cared only by his shows, or there was more to him, but his glamour concealed it too well. As Noelle asked Fran about it, the latter replied that she didn't really know him and she preferred to not rely on gossips from others.  
"Anyway, I think I'll make us some tea." - Fran said as she stood up - "My mother baked a butterscotch-cinnamon pie for us. Do you want some?"  
"Uh, yeah. I guess I'm a bit hungry." - Noelle replied.  
Fran cut two slices of pie and when the tea was ready, they started to eat. Noelle made her first bite and the next second, she frowned slightly, her hand holding the fork freezing in mid-air. Fran saw her roomie's expression and asked:  
"You don't like it?"  
"Uh..? Yes, I do. It's just… It tastes somewhat… familiar." - Noelle said pensively.  
"That's weird. You couldn't have eaten this before, it's my mother's recipe." - Fran remarked.  
"I'm maybe imagining things." - Noelle shrugged - "The pie is just that good."  
"I'm glad you like it." - Francesca said with a smile - "My mother's an excellent cook. By the way, my parents invite us for dinner tomorrow, so they can get to know you."  
"What..? Oh, uh... Do I have to go…? It'll be super awkward considering that they know Dr Gaster, and…"  
"Don't worry about Dr Gaster. He doesn't have to know about the dinner. Please, accept the invitation. My parents are very warm people, you'll love them." - Fran pleaded.  
"I guess it would be rude to refuse their invitation… Alright, I'll go with you." - Noelle decided.  
This delighted Fran, who immediately texted her parents to say they'll both come the next evening.

Meantime at Gaster's house, the little family was dining. An awkward silence was pressing, Sam and Piper could sense that something was bothering their father. When they almost finished their food, Will Dean Gaster couldn't take this anymore.  
"Some people have seen you with Miss Doe near the school two days ago."  
"We just chatted." - Piper immediately replied.  
"Is that a problem?" - Sam asked, his tone slightly challenging.  
"I just wish you stopped following her like a tail. You obviously need her much more than she needs you." - Gaster said with a calm tone.  
"She does need us. Because she moved in an apartement here." - Sam replied.  
"Is that so?" - Gaster raised an eyebrow in interest - "But I doubt it'll last. She won't be able to accustom here on her own."  
"Well, she's not alone." - the boy said - "She lives with Francesca Underwood."  
"She __what__?" - the doctor's face suddenly grew pale.  
A short silence followed. Piper broke it, asking in concern:  
"Are you okay? You breathe weird."  
Dr Gaster's breathing had indeed quickened, without him realizing it at first. __"Oh no, not again…"__ \- he thought. As he did his best to keep control over his breathing and moves, he said calmly:  
"I am fine. You can go to your room."  
"But-"  
"I said go. Enough talking for today." - the doctor said as he was rubbing his hands against each other to conceal their shaking.  
The twins wordlessly went out of the dining room. As they were going upstairs, Piper said to her brother:  
"You shouldn't have said that Noelle lives now with Francesca."  
"Yeah, now I regret saying that…" - Sam admitted his mistake.

The next day, when the sun was still setting, Fran and Noelle were walking towards the Underwoods' house. The house was about as big as Dr Gaster's house. Noelle then noticed a guy wearing a yellow shirt and dark grey pants with many pockets. He was busy mowling the lawn, so he didn't notice the two women coming. Noelle didn't have the time to ask Fran who the guy was, since the front door opened and Anderson Underwood greeted them.  
"Howdy." - he said - "How are you doing, Fran? How was the settle down?"  
"Everything's okay, Dad." - Fran replied.  
The father and daughter briefly hugged, before Anderson asked looking at Noelle:  
"And you must be my daughter's roomie?"  
"Yes, that's me."  
"Dad, this is Noelle. Noelle, this is my father and mayor of the town, Anderson Underwood." - Francesca introduced the two to each other.  
"It's nice to meet you, Mr Underwood." - Noelle said politely.  
"Nice to meet you too." - Anderson said - "Now, why don't you two come in? Taylor is all busy in the kitchen, working on the perfect dinner for tonight."  
"She didn't have to push so hard on herself. It's not like it's Christmas or Thanksgiving…" - Fran commented as she, along with her father and Noelle entered the house.  
"You know how much your mother loves to show off her culinary skills." - Anderson half-joked.  
Noelle was looking around in wonder. The house was as big as Gaster's, but unlike the doctor's house, this one had warmer vibes. It had something to do with the interior design, which was much more colorful than in Gaster's house. The Underwood's abode was more old-fashioned or cozy, in contrast of Gaster's which design was more modern.  
"I love your house." - Noelle said honestly with a smile.  
"Well, thank you. My wife has a good taste when it comes to the interior." - Anderson said proudly.  
"Just in that? I thought my good taste applied to anything?" - Taylor said suddenly as she walked in the living room.  
"But of course, my dear." - the mayor said - "Noelle, I believe you already know my wife, Taylor."  
"Yes, we met at the school." - Noelle replied - "Hello, Mrs Underwood."  
"Greetings, Noelle." - Taylor said - "I hope you didn't get much trouble when moving in our town?"  
"No, I didn't."  
"Her belongings fit in just one suitcase. Not kidding." - Francesca said.  
"Just one suitcase?" - Anderson asked in disbelief.  
"I was as much surprised as you are now." - his daughter confirmed.  
"Well, I guess it's more practical when you have to move." - Taylor commented.  
Taylor then informed that the dinner would be ready soon and suggested the others to wait in the living room. Noelle could already smell a delicious scent and wondered what the host could be cooking. Francesca helped her mother to finish the dinner, and to set the table. This gave time for Noelle and Anderson to talk a bit together, and Noelle discovered that Fran wasn't lying about her father to be a nice guy. He asked her what she thought about the town so far, to which Noelle replied that it seemed to be a friendly place. She also mentioned how she had a walk in the park, which made the mayor smile.  
"I love the park, especially in spring. It's the time of the year when the daffodils are blooming. Those are my favourite flowers."  
"Really? You're interested in gardening?" - Noelle asked curiously.  
"Oh, it's my passion. Thinking about plants is more pleasant than thinking about politics, to be honest." - Anderson commented, making Noelle chuckle - "I planted daffodils in my garden myself. But you probably know they only bloom in spring, so their yellow color is a joyful reminder that winter is gone."  
"I agree. I've read a few things about them, they sadly bloom from five to twenty days only during spring." - Noelle said - "It's a shame, 'cause they're really pretty."  
"Well, if you love daffodils as much as I do, you're always welcome to come here at spring, so you can admire the garden." - Anderson said with a smile.  
Noelle could see that the man actually meant what he just said, and it warmed her heart. But at the same time, it saddened her a little bit, because...  
"__If__ I'll still be around this spring." - Noelle remarked, biting her lip.  
"Oh... I got a bit carried away, didn't I? Sorry for that." - Anderson felt suddenly awkward.  
"No, no, it's okay." - Noelle reassured the man - "It was still very nice from you."  
It was at that moment when the dinner got ready. The time spent with the Underwoods was really pleasant, Noelle hadn't felt that comfortable in a very long time. She slightly envied Fran for having such wonderful parents. They were so nice people. Even though Noelle didn't have much to tell about herself, Taylor and Anderson were still interested to know her. They even avoided the topic of Dr Gaster, since Francesca had warned them beforehand. When their dishes were almost empty, a knock on the door was heard, making Anderson stand up.  
"Florian must be done with the lawn." - he said - "I'll be back in a moment."  
Anderson walked up to the front door and when he opened it, the man in the yellow shirt entered. Noelle turned to her new friend, asking:  
"He isn't your brother, is he?"  
"No, Florian is our gardener." - Francesca replied.  
"I thought your father loved gardening."  
"He does." - Taylor confirmed - "But he's still a busy man, so he entrusts our garden to Florian. It's late autumn now anyway, so there's not much passionate or creative things Anderson can do."  
"Couldn't explain it better, Mom." - Fran said.  
At that moment, Anderson offered Florian to come in and maybe even eat something after a long work.  
"No, it's okay. I won't bother you much longer." - Forian declined the offer.  
"But you must be hungry, Florian." - Anderson insisted - "Just a little bite?"  
"No, I'm not hungry." - the young man replied as he seemed to get uncomfortable.  
"At least drink a little bit." - the mayor insisted.  
"All right... I guess a glass of water won't harm." - Florian gave up.  
Anderson and Florian approached the table where the family was dining, and Taylor immediately complimented him for having worked well in their garden.  
"It's nothing, you know..." - Florian said dismissively but smiling, then turned to Francesca - "Howdy, Fran."  
"Hi, Florian." - the young woman simply replied.  
"And I don't believe I know you…?" - Florian said looking at Noelle, the smile never leaving his face.  
"Hello, my name's Noelle."  
"She's my new roomie. I moved out of the house." - Fran explained.  
"You moved? That was a wonderful idea!" - Florian exclaimed, while Anderson gave him his glass of water - "Are you excited about your newly gained independance?"  
"Excited? Don't know, it's yet to be defined."  
Florian drank his water, his gaze landing on Noelle a couple of times. Noelle didn't notice. Then, the gardener said to the other people in the room:  
"Well, guess I have to go. Good evening, Mr and Mrs Underwood, Francesca, and… Noelle."  
He then smiled again before turning around and leaving the house. Taylor noticed that the girls finished their meal and proceeded to clear the table. Fran wanted to help, but her parents told her to just enjoy herself. When Anderson and Taylor went to the kitchen, Noelle asked Francesca to tell her more about Florian.  
"There's not much to tell. He works for my parents for... uh... as long as I can remember." - Fran said - "I never really knew what to think of the guy, to be honest."  
"Why is that?" - Noelle asked curiously.  
"He looks friendly and he smiles a lot. He's _very_ smiling in fact. But I always felt like there's just something… 'off' about him."  
"Yeah, I noticed his habit to smile." - Noelle remarked - "But some people are a bit weird, I guess."  
"Maybe." - Fran shrugged.  
The girls had a point though. The gardener Florian did have his oddities. When he left the house, he didn't go home immediately. He stood there and stared at the house for a few long moments, his smile only growing before finally walking away.

* * *

**A/N: Don't trust your garden to a gardener, people. **

**As you most likely have guessed by yourselves, Florian is actually Flowey's alter-ego! His name comes from latin that means "flower". His character was in fact the easiest the rename. **

**Daffodils are supposed to be the golden flowers in our world. A French Youtuber, who has made many very researched and elaborated theories about Undertale, had concluded based on the tweets from Toby Fox that the golden flowers are most likely daffodils. **

**If the pie feels familiar to Noelle, it's because she had obviously eaten it back when she still lived in the world of Undertale. :) She just doesn't remember, having been too young.**

**Please review and tell me what you thought! With reviews, I'll be more motivated to keep uploading my fanfic here.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry for the small delay. It's just that during two days there was an unbearably extreme heat. It was so hot that my country was in "red alert". (Almost 40 °C!) And then, I needed two days to recover. Anyway, here comes the chapter! Enjoy if you can. ^^**

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Metananda arrived at the Undertown hospital and rushed to the reception. The receptionist looked up at him with a jaded expression and said:  
"Yes?"  
"I need to see Dr Alicia, it's urgent!" - Metananda replied with a rushed and stressed tone.  
"For what motive?"  
"I think I might be experiencing complications from my latest surgery." - the tv star replied - "Alicia was my surgeon, that's why I need her to check me."  
"Alright. What did you have surgery of?" - the receptionist asked.  
"It... It's private business..!" - Metananda replied, getting slightly flustered.  
"I have to know, so I can check on my computer and find an appropriate moment for the checkup." - the receptionist replid, her tone and face still as blase as before.  
"No, no, I must see her now!" - Metananda insisted - "Look, darling, don't you see who I am? Won't you make a special allowance for me to see her now?"  
"Look, pretty face. Star or not, you're not the only one here who has problems. There are other patients who are waiting. The best you can do is to take a number and wait until it's your turn. And __maybe__ Dr Alicia will be able to take care of you, if she's done with her current tasks."  
"But it's urgent!" - the man insisted.  
"It's urgent for others too, but they don't whine." - the receptionist pointed out - "Take a number and wait in the waiting area."  
"...Fine." - Metananda said with irritation and grabbed a number as instructed.  
He sat down on a chair with an annoyed expression, getting glances from others in the waiting area. He was sitting on the chair all tensed, one leg laid over another, regularily switching its position. __"I hope it won't be long..."__ \- he thought to himself - __"I have tomorrow night's show to prepare..!" __

Meanwhile in the mayor's house, Anderson and Dr Gaster were discussing some business regarding the hospital funding. When they were done, Dr Gaster decided it was time to approach a certain topic. He asked carefully:  
"How's your family doing, by the way?"  
"They're doing well. Fran found the courage to live an independant life, so she moved out. I'm proud of her." - Anderson said with a proud smile.  
"Doesn't it scare you? Taylor and you have always been very protective parents." - Gaster asked - "Not that it's a bad thing."  
"Yeah, but we had to let her go someday, right?" - Anderson replied - "You, for example, are letting your kids go while they haven't learned to fly yet. Metaphorically speaking."  
"I'm just raising them as independant people." - Gaster crossed his arms over his chest.  
"Oh, but I wasn't judging you, my friend." - Anderson put his arm around the doctor - "Just stating that we have different methods of education. But keep in mind that you're a good father, Gaster."  
Will Dean Gaster just sighed and shook his head. Anderson saw his friend's sad expression and squeezed Gaster's shoulder a little to encourage him to speak his mind.  
"I wish my own children thought so."  
"They're young, Gaster. Give them some time and they'll realize how much you did for them." - the mayor reassured his friend.  
"But how can they prefer… Miss Doe to me, their father?" - Dr Gaster asked in frustration - "She abandoned them at their birth, yet Sam and Piper are attracted by her like by a magnet."  
"You cannot blame them for wanting to know their origins. Yes, she made a mistake, but Sam and Piper found it in them to forgive her. They don't really have friends and I think that Noelle Doe could be, if not a mother, a good friend to them."  
"Why are you talking as if you're defending Miss Doe?" - Gaster asked, raising an eyebrow in suspicion - "You don't even know that woman. Or do you…?"  
"Err… Well, she's Fran's room-mate. The two are basically friends now. So, I might have invited Noelle in my house…" - Anderson said awkwardly - "So Taylor and I could get to know her a little… around a dinner…"  
"You mean she had dined in your house?" - Dr Gaster asked in disbelief - "And you hid it from me?!"  
"Look, I'm sorry I didn't tell you." - Anderson apologized - "Taylor and I didn't tell you to avoid an awkward situation, just like right now. But you really shouldn't have that warlike attitude towards her. She's not some __monster__, you know. Give her a chance, she's a nice girl."  
"I see, you took her side too."  
"What? No, I'm not taking anyone's side, Gaster!" - the mayor said, shocked by his friend's assumption - "I just think that you should all get along to make your life easier."  
"Easier for who?" - Dr Gaster asked.  
"For everyone, especially for you chilren. You must learn to not be so stubborn and accept compromises." - Anderson pointed out.  
"And yet... the 'compromise' seems to be all in Miss Doe's favor." - the doctor sighed - "I have to go, I still have work to do in the hospital."  
"Wait, we're not done talking yet..!"  
"There's nothing more to say, and I'm busy. Good day, Mr Underwood." - Gaster said.  
"Wait, no! Gaster!" - Anderson yelled right before Dr Gaster closed the front door behind him.

Metananda was (finally) sitting in a checkup room, waiting for his favourite doctor to show up. It was a huge relief when Alicia entered the room.  
"Hi, Meta." - the doctor said - "Now tell me, what's wrong? You apparently have complications after surgery? I remember that it went well, though… But if there's any problem, I'll do all my best to fix-"  
"Now that I passed the reception step, I can be honest." - Metananda interrupted her - "I came because I have a creativity block! I have a show to prepare and I have no idea what to talk about! This is stressing me out!"  
"What?! You came here because you're out of ideas for your show?!" - Alicia exclaimed flusterd - "You can't come here, lying that you're ill and steal a doctor's time for things like that..! I'm not your shrink, Meta!"  
"Oh, but my darling, I really need your help..!" - Metananda exclaimed with an excessively dramatic pose - "You're my best friend, I have no one else to turn to!"  
"You... you see me as your best friend..?" - Alicia asked, shocked.  
"Yes, you're the person I'm the closest to." - Metananda grabbed his doctor's hand - "You know me better than anyone else in Under Town! You know everything about my body. I'd been lying unconscious and vulnerable on the surgery table, while you were performing your medical skills on me."  
"I... I guess this does make us... uh… rather c-close..." - the doctor muttered, her face flushing red.  
"So please..! Can you do me a little favor? Could you perhaps share some interesting case with me? So I can talk about it on my show..?"  
"Wha-? No! I can't possibly do that…!" - Alicia shook her head, getting flustered and offended by the request - "I'm a doctor, I'm bound by medical confidentiality!"  
Alicia opened the door, to hint her friend that he had to leave right now. But when she opened the door, she saw her colleague Will Dean Gaster stand there.  
"Oh...! D-Dr Gaster..!" - the woman exclaimed seeing him - "Uhhh, we… Metananda and I are discussing his issue, he thinks he's the victim of c-complications fo-following the s-surgery…"  
"Would his 'complication' take the form of inspiration loss for his show?" - Dr Gaster said, his voice calm.  
"Urgh... You heard that..." - Alicia groaned as she hid her face in her right hand.  
"You did nothing wrong, Alicia. I trust you, I know you would never break the confidentiality. Now, go take care of your patients, and I'll have a word with Metananda."  
"A-alright, Dr Gaster..."  
The two doctors smiled at each other, after what Alicia left the room. Dr Gaster then closed the door and approached Metananda, saying with a threatening tone:  
"Listen here, Metananda. Alicia has worked really hard to get her position here, and she's a brilliant doctor! She's a dear friend of mine, and don't you dare to lead her on the wrong path, or I-"  
"Calm down, darling. I just asked once."  
"I aready asked you to __not__ call me 'darling'. And let Alicia out of your world of dirty gossip." - Gaster hissed at the tv star, then he calmed down and said - "But your problem actually caught my attention. You need a story for your show, right?"  
"Well, yes! Oooh, don't tell me __you__ will share some secret infromation with me?" - Metananda said with a wink.  
"No, I won't. But I have a suggestion of who you can talk about." - Gaster replied as the man of glamour stared at him with shining eyes - "Noelle Doe."  
"Really?" - Meta asked with disappointement - "I already told you she's dull."  
"Well, isn't it your job to make a dull story interesting?" - Gaster asked - "By the way… would you consider a person who came to dine in the mayor's house as 'dull'?"  
"No way... She did?" - Metananda asked and the doctor nodded in confirmation - "Oh yessss, tomorrow's show will be the best! I have to go, to work on my… story."

Francesca and Noelle were walking in between the departments of the supermarket, picking up necessary food, drinks and other things for their new little home. The two girls were in a good mood, since Francesca found a job as an accountant at the art school. But when they were at the cash register, Francesca paid for all the groceries, which made Noelle upset. Fran noticed her friend's expression and asked:  
"Are you okay?"  
"Why didn't you let me pay the half of it?"  
"But it doesn't bother me." - Fran replied - "My parents didn't give us money for the time we find jobs for nothing."  
"It's just that it makes me feel as if I'm taking advantage of your money." - Noelle explained.  
"But you're not. Don't worry, you'll find a job soon too and you won't have to feel that way." - Fran reassured her.  
"Excuse me, shall you let me pass now?" - a female voice from behind said.  
The two turned around to see a woman with a bag full of pastry-related groceries, waiting for her turn to pay for it. She had black hair styled in a french braid and she was dressed in a slightly old-fashioned manner, even though she was not an old lady. Noelle and Fran realized they were standing in her way, so they made a few steps further with an apology.  
"How's your bakery doing, Miss Parker?" - Francesca asked.  
"It's doing very well, Miss Underwood." - the woman replied - "As you can see, I'm restocking it."  
When the two young women exited the supermarket, Noelle asked Francesca who was the woman they just saw.  
"Her bakery is not too far from my parent's house." - Fran said - "Her name's Marilyn Parker, and when you get to know her, you realize that she has an obsession for money."  
"Who hasn't?" - Noelle joked, and the two young women giggled.  
They had no idea that just before exiting the supermarket, Marilyn had texted someone with a sly grin on her face.

**The next evening…**

Sancho, Paxton and Ondine were having dinner at Griffin's. The two police officers had finished their day of work, so they were relaxing at the cafe. Even though Paxton didn't really like to eat in cafes, preferring to cook dinner himself, he would from time to time make an exception, since his brother loved the place so much. The small tv in the corner then suddenly showed the opening of Metananda's show.  
"Oh, I wonder what shall he talk about this time!" - Paxton exclaimed with excitement.  
"I don't see why you like his show that much." - Sergeant Ondine commented - "And Metananda isn't even that cool."  
"Are you kidding? He's the biggest star in our small town! Everyone loves him!" - Paxton argued.  
"Well, I don't." - Ondine replied before making another bite of her meal.  
"Everyone has different tastes, Pax." - Sancho remarked - "Now shush, or we'll miss what the guy's saying."  
On the tv screen, Metananda, dressed in slightly eccentric glamourous clothes, introduced his show. His tone was full of energy and excitement, like usual.  
"Hello beauties and gentlebeauties! Welcome to your favourite show: Meta's Under-Tales!"

At that same time, Fran and Noelle had turned their tv on too, and the two girls decided to watch the show. The girls sat on the couch, ready to hear whatever 'exciting' story he would come up with.  
"And today's tale is about an individual few of you know yet!" - the Asian guy said on the tv screen - "She's a new person in our little beloved town, and her name's Noelle Doe!"  
"What?" - Noelle's eyes widened.

"Huh..? No way..." - Sancho said as soon as Metananda announced who the show would be about - "What could he possibly tell about her?"  
"You know that person?" - Ondine asked.  
"Yes, she often comes here for lunch..." - Sancho replied.  
"A simple person outwardly, but she hides very long and sharp claws!" - Meta said with an excited tone that awakes anticipation from his tv spectators - "We'd say she's a Cinderella who decided to take the matter in her own hands."

"What does he mean by that?" - Noelle asked, feeling her heartbeat quickening.  
"Whatever it does, it's not good…" - Fran said, looking as much nervous as her friend.  
"Noelle Doe lives in our town for a few days only, but she was very quick to spot a good target! With an eye of a hawk, she saw from miles who she had to be 'friends' with… Noelle Doe quickly gained the trust of the mayor's daughter! She must've had many sly tricks under her sleeves to convince Francesca Underwood to share her abode with her! Noelle Doe, a pretty but dangerous syren, convinced a smart and cautious person like Miss Underwood to provide her the financial protection she so needed..! Noelle is still unemployed, which is not a big surprise. After all, who needs a job when you can just take advantage of the mayor's daughter's wallet?"  
"WHAT?!" - Noelle exclaimed, her face getting red of both anger and embarrassement of such deceitful exposure to the entire town - "That's not true at all! How dares he say those things on tv?!"

"No... He must've got his information wrong..." - Paxton said, shaking his head as he stared on tv - "That must be it, because that's not how Noelle Doe is."  
"How do you know? Have you met her?" - Ondine asked, but Paxton didn't reply.  
"What a venomous tongue..." - Sancho muttered.  
"But that's not all!" - Metananda kept talking with his excited tone - "Did you beauties know that Noelle Doe got to dine at Mayor Underwood's house? This can be called a real win for Noelle! Less than a week in our town, and she gets to meet Anderson Underwood in person! What is that sorcery? What did she do to attract the man's attention? Hmm… Maybe she appealed to his parental instincts? Oh my, didn't I mention it earlier? Noelle Doe is an orphan! Abandoned by her parents at three years old, she craves for so long now for care and attention, without ever getting it!"

"No... no, no... That's private information, how could he get that..?" - Noelle asked as her eyes were filled with tears.  
Francesca looked at her friend with shock and sympathy, feeling so sorry for her. She then glared on the tv and hated how Metananda was enjoying himself telling his story. The man shamelessly kept going.  
"An entire life without a familial warmth to help her at her coldest days! How tragic!" - Meta exclaimed, doing an unnecessarily dramatic pose - "But being a clever woman, Noelle quickly saw and grasped her chance! By befriending Francesca, she gained Mr and Mrs Underwood's approval! Noelle Doe surely wishes for parents like them! She's using her 'friendship' to get closer to Mayor Underwood and his wife, and who knows, maybe to make them love her like a second daughter?"  
Noelle burried her face in a pillow, trying her best to suppress her cries. She managed to not let out any sobs, but tears were definitely falling. Fran put her hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her anyhow. But she knew there was nothing she could do.  
"The young woman already has good advantages from Miss Underwood, so imagine what she could gain from the parents? Anderson and Taylor Underwood, with their so big hearts could never refuse to gift Noelle a part of their property, or even write her in their will! Especially if the young lady uses her charms and sad story."

"Sancho... I never thought I'd say this, but... I don't think I like Metananda and his show anymore." - Paxton said.  
"You finally see the dark side of showbusiness, huh bro?" - Sancho replied.  
Ondine ignored their conversation as she was still focused on what Metananda was saying. The star kept going, and it didn't seem he would stop anytime soon.  
"But the pretty face is far from being an angel, and I have more prooves than what I just told you! The poor orphan didn't learn from her parents' mistakes, but instead she repeated them! In fact, after a careless teenage passion, she couldn't face the consequences. When she gave birth to twins, she abandoned them. Thank goodness fate had good plans for the kids, since they had been adopted by no other than our admired doctor, Will Dean Gaster!"

Francesca was slowly shaking her head in disbelief of how Metananda could do that. Noelle wasn't saying anything, her face still in the pillow. And the tv star was making it all even worse.  
"But fate reunited Noelle and her abandoned children. The woman couldn't help but to act under the impulse of jealousy, so she decided to stay in our town and work hard to steal the kids from our dear doctor. She thought that she had suffered enough, so she decided to make Dr Gaster miserable instead."  
"That's not true... It's not like that at all...!" - Noelle was saying, the pillow muffling her words - "It's not like that… I don't want to make anyone miserable…"  
This time she wasn't even controlling her sobs. Francesca stared at Noelle, feeling an heartache for her. What could she possibly do for her? Was there even any way to help?

"And on the top of that interesting and dark image of Noelle Doe, she doesn't respect parking rules!" - Metananda added with a grin - "What a naughty girl. She even charmed one of our policemen into not sanctioning her."  
Paxton's face paled and then saw his superior stare at him.  
"So, this is how you know her, Paxton?" - Ondine asked him with a serious look.  
"Well... y-yes, Sergeant." - Paxton replied nervously, then he turned to his brother and asked - "I really can't tell you anything, can I brother?"  
"Sorry, bro..." - Sancho replied with a look of guilt.  
"We'll talk about this tomorrow." - Ondine said to Paxton, then sighed - "But is there a point of it anyway?"  
Paxton sighed, but he wasn't as much concerned by the last statement as by everything Metananda said about Noelle on tv. __"The poor girl… The entire town watched it, what will she do now? She'll be despised and she'll be all alone…"__ \- he thought to himself.

The next day, Dr Gaster heard a knock at his door. He opened it to reveal a clearly upset Noelle. She wasn't looking her best at that moment. Her eyes were red and her nose was slightly swollen. She also had dark circles under her eyes. It was clear that she had spent a good part of the night crying. Dr Gaster should've been internally satisfied, but for some reason he was not.  
"It was your work, wasn't it?" - the woman asked, her voice trembling  
"Could you clarify, Miss Doe?" - Gaster asked calmly.  
"You __know__ what I'm talking about, Dr Gaster." - Noelle said - "Last night's show, was it your work?"  
"I can guarantee you that I have in no way participated in the text writing. Everything for the show was Metananda's work only."  
"He might have reinvented the story, but you are certainly the one who gave him the idea to talk about me." - Noelle said, and as Gaster didn't reply anything, she pursued - "I cannot believe this... I don't understand, no I __can't__ understand how you could do something so immoral..! What you did, Dr Gaster, was a very dirty move."  
Noelle then paused, swallowing back her upcoming tears. She looked up at Dr Gaster again, asking:  
"Just how did you become so cruel?"  
The question immediately brought up to Gaster's mind images from his past.

__"I... I'M SCARED..."__

__A shudder. A short silence.__

__"...Good. You should be scared of me."__  
__  
He turns the drill on. __

The sound of the drill, as well as Papyrus' scream reasonated in Gaster's mind. But he blinked a few times to chase the memory away and he replied to Noelle with a tone devoid of all emotion.  
"That's just how I am, Miss Doe."  
Noelle shook her head and turned around to leave. But before she would walk away, she said:  
"If you really are that heartless… then I can see why Sam and Piper are unhappy with you."  
With those words, she started to walk away, while the doctor closed the door. The doctor just stood there for a moment, then he leaned against a wall and closed his eyes, letting out a long sigh. Just… why? Why was it so difficult? What was that feeling that started to make him so uncomfortable. Was it… guilt? __"No."__ \- Gaster immediately rejected the thought - __"I cannot allow such feelings devour my soul. I have worked too hard on the De-Code." __With that thought, Dr W.D. Gaster returned to his study.

* * *

**A/N: So. Before you say: "But Mettaton had learned in UT that there were more important things than rating, he realized that people needed him more than he needs to be famous! He cannot be such a jerk post-UT!" To which I answer you that because of the De-Code, Metananda/Mettaton forgot his own character developement. **

**Regarding his mentioned surgery... I purposely didn't precise what it was. I originally imagined it to be plastic surgery, but if you want it to be gender change, you can imagine it this way. The surgery is obviously a reference to the fact that in UT, Alphys made Mettaton's body.**

**Things seem too sad for Noelle now, don't they? But don't worry, they'll get better soon. ^^**

**For Muffet, I chose the last name "Parker" like in Peter Parker, 'cause you know, she's a spider. As for her first name, I chose Marylin because it sounds old-fashioned, just like her clothing style in the game. In case you didn't get it, Marilyn is one of Metananda's informators. (And the reason why Gaster suggested Meta to talk about Noelle is that he hoped the humiliation would force her to leave the town.)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry I didn't post this one sooner. I was kinda busy. :/ And the fact that not many people read it isn't very motivating… :( (Don't worry, I _will_ post the whole story in any case!)**

* * *

_"The De-Code is a powerful thing. Even I can't stop him from doing it."_  
_"but you're the true master of this world, dog!"_  
_"I maybe created this world, but I have no control over others' actions."_  
_"So... there's… there's really n-nothing we can do…? There must be… some way, r-right…?"_

_"..."_

_"there is a way to save us, right?"_  
_"Yes... But your brother and sister-in-law won't like it."_  
_"why? what is that thing we must do?"_  
_"None of us is powerful enough to undo the doctor's work. But one person is."_  
_"W-who is that person...?"_  
_"The child born from a human and a monster."_  
_"you mean..?"_  
_"The only way to save us from the De-Code is-"_

Sancho suddenly awoke as he felt being shaken by someone. Opening one eye, he could see that it was his brother. On the other hand, it was not like it could've been anyone else.  
"Ugh… Pax..?" - he asked sleepily.  
"Brother, I've been trying to wake you up for ten minutes now! And you only growled in response each time!" - Paxton said with an annoyed tone.  
"Really…? Don't recall…" - Sancho replied as he nuzzled his pillow and closed his eyes again.  
"Sancho! You can't fall asleep again!" - Paxton exclaimed as he shook his brother once more - "Ugh… It's because of __this__ attitude that you lost your job!"  
"Bro, leave me alone for now…" - Sancho grumbled into his pillow - "I had weird dreams…"  
"Oh? What kind of dreams?"  
"I dunno… It was all weird, voices talking about stuff I don't understand…"  
"Hmm… I guess everyone has weird dreams once in a while. So, don't worry about it, Sancho! Alright, you can rest a little longer, but please make an effort! Chores have to be done, can you do at least __some__ of them?"  
"Ok."  
"Sancho, I mean it." - Paxton insisted - "At least, clean your room. It's dusty and messy."  
"Ok."  
"But really, how long has it been since you've cleaned?" - the policeman wondered out loud.  
"Ok."  
"Sancho! You weren't even listening?!" - Paxton exclaimed.  
"Just kidding, Pax." - Sancho said as he looked up at his brother with a wide grin.  
"Really, Sancho…" - Paxton shook his head - "I have to go now. Have a good day, brother."  
"See ya, Pax."  
When the policeman exited the apartement, Sancho sighed and rolled on his back in his bed. It had been days that he started to have those strange dreams. The image was always too blurred to understand what was going on, and the strange content of the dialogue didn't help at all. Sancho thought he could recognize his own voice, but at the same time it felt as if in the dream, he wasn't really himself. He couldn't even tell if he was experiencing the dream from the first or the third point of view, that was how much it was blurry. After a moment, Sancho sat down on the bed with a tired moan. He blinked his eyes a few times before putting his slippers on and and lazily walked to the bathroom. Sancho brushed his teeth and looked at his unchaved face in the mirror. When was the last time he shaved? Was it the previous day or two days ago? After consideration, Sancho decided that he didn't feel like to shave this morning. __"I'll do it tomorrow."__ \- he thought to himself. So, he just splashed his face with water a few times before going to the kitchen. He saw a pile of pancakes next to the cooker. Sancho guessed that it was Paxton who made them while he was still sleeping. __"Just when exactly did you get up, Pax..?"__ \- he thought to himself. Sancho ate his breakfast and then glanced at the clock. It was 10:45 am.  
"I guess I'll have my brunch soon." - he said to himself with a chuckle.  
Sancho ate a lot, it was an habit of his. That was why he spent most of his time at Griffin's. After slowly washing his dish, Sancho got dressed up and went outside. He took his time to walk to his favourite cafe. Fortunately for him, he and his brother didn't live far from the cafe. So, the walk was never long, no matter his pace. As he finally made it to Griffin's, he greeted its owner, who acknowledged him by a simple look. Mr Griffin has never been a talkative man.  
"Griffin, the usual." - Sancho ordered as he sat down at his favourite chair.  
Griffin nodded before disappearing in the kitchen. Sancho didn't wait long before Griffin brought him his meal. It was when the man stared to eat when Noelle entered the cafe and sat down next to him quietly.  
"Hey, kid." - Sancho greeted her.  
"Hello, Sancho." - Noelle replied, her voice devoid of joy - "What's up?"  
"The ceiling." - Sancho replied before taking a bite of his meal.  
Noelle smiled at the joke, but it was very faint. She didn't have the heart to laugh.  
"But how are __you__ doing?" - Sancho asked on his turn.  
"You must've seen last night's show, so you can guess." - Noelle replied as she put her head in between her hands.  
"Yeah, guess it was a stupid question." - the man commented - "You must feel horrible."  
"I do." - Noelle said as she rubbed her forehead with her fingers - "I have a headache, I barely slept last night. I cried my eyes out on my pillow. And this morning, I could feel people's glances on me. It's just unbearable, I wanted to disappear..! I came here in hopes to find at least one person, you, who won't judge me."  
"I never will. You're safe with me around. And don't worry, gossips come and go." - Sancho said as he put his hand over Noelle's shoulder - "Eventually, people shall see you're good and they'll forget."  
"Yeah, if they'll ever __want__ to know me." - Noelle replied.  
At that moment, Mr Griffin put a cup of hot tea in front of Noelle. She looked up at the man with a confused look - she hadn't ordered anything. Noelle also quickly noticed (by the smell) that it was camomile tea.  
"I didn't order camomile...?" - she said in confusion.  
"...It's good against headaches." - Mr Griffin replied with a gentle tone.  
This statement surprised Noelle. She had never heard Griffin interact with anyone, she only saw him wordlessly serve his clients. But it seemed that even though he was a rather silent person, he was still observant and so he did his job very well.  
"Thank you, Mr Griffin." - Noelle said, not finding the strength to manage a smile, but her tone very grateful.  
The man just nodded in response, in a 'you're welcome' manner, before returning to his work. Sancho smiled widely at Noelle and commented:  
"I think you caught his eye."  
"Wha-? No! It's surely nothing like that." - Noelle hissed, embarrassed.  
"Haha, I was just teasing you." - Sancho replied - "Don't take everything too seriously.  
"Sorry Sancho, but I'm really not in the mood for jokes."  
"Aw, sorry pal. I guess you're not."  
"Yeah, when the entire town hates you, you don't have the heart to laugh." - Noelle said as she drank from her cup of tea.  
"That's not true. My brother and I are on your side."  
"Your brother?" - Noelle asked surprised.  
"Yeah, you met him once, his name's Paxton." - Sancho said with a smile.  
"I didn't know you two were brothers!" - Noelle said, actually surprised, then gasped - "Oh no, will he get in trouble for… well, what Metananda said on tv?"  
"Nah, don't worry about him, pal. Pax is lucky he's in good terms with the sergeant."  
"Yeah... So, he isn't mad at me?"  
"What for? It wasn't your fault." - Sancho pointed out - "If anything, it was mine. I just love talk about my brother, so of course I had to mention that incident with you. Heh, I can't even recall who I told it to. Anyway, Paxton is just too kind to be mad at someone. He doesn't have it in him. The only times you can see Paxton irritated are when he fusses over me not doing the house chores!"  
Noelle smiled at the thought. Sancho pursued:  
"Ugh, this reminds me he tasked me to do some chores today… I really don't like doing those."  
"No? You don't like to please your brother?"  
"Of course I do! It's just that I'm very lazy."  
"I can see it by the look of your unshaved face." - Noelle remarked but without sounding mean - "But you will do what your brother asked, won't you?"  
"Maybe, if I don't fall asleep while cleaning my room." - Sancho half-joked - "Which will probably happen. Unless I get a helping hand from a nice person."  
"Are you asking me to do the chores for you...?" - Noelle frowned.  
"I didn't say that." - Sancho replied with a grin as he ate the last bite of his meal.  
"Okay, I'm willing to help."  
"What? Uh, I was just joking, pal."  
"I still want to help you. First, your home is the only place where I won't get stares from people." - Noelle explained - "Second, I owe your brother. He paid the inn bill for me, so I must return the favor."  
"Ok, then. Let's go to my home." - the man said as he stood from his chair and offered his hand to Noelle.  
She grabbed his hand without thinking as she was standing from the high chair, and as soon as the two hands made contact, a farting noise got heard. Noelle was caught off guard and got a confusion look on her face, until Sancho showed the hidden whoopie cushion in his hand.  
"Heh, heh. It'll never stop to be funny! Never!" - Sancho said, making Griffin (who saw the scene) shake his head - "What? I've done that prank in your cafe before."  
Mr Griffn rolled his eyes. Noelle crossed her arms over her chest and said, shaking her head:  
"It's not funny, Sancho."  
"It isn't? But isn't that a shadow of a smile I see on your face?" - Sancho inquired, grinning widely.  
"I am __not__ smiling." - Noelle said seriously while the corners of her mouth were still slightly rising against her will - "Fine… maybe just a little."  
Sancho seemed pleased from the fact she admitted it, as he and Noelle left the cafe.

Francesca was sorting papers at her working desk. The art school she started to work at had a lot of papers, which had probably never been properly sorted. The young woman could understand why they needed someone to administer them. Fran was absorbed in her task as she suddenly heard her cellphone vibrate against the desk. She looked at the screen and saw that it was a call from her mother. She answered the call, hoping it wouldn't be too long.  
"Hello, my child." - Taylor said from the other line.  
"Hi, mom." - Fran replied - "How are you?"  
"I am doing well. But my concern is how are __you__ doing." - Taylor said seriously - "I'm concerned after Metananda's show aired."  
"Mom, there's no need to worry about Noelle, she's cool." - Francesca said with a sigh.  
"But she might be using you, so of course I'm worried that you're around her!" - her mother exclaimed with her overprotective tone - "You maybe should consider to move back to our house, and-"  
"Please, I don't want to start everything over. I just found the courage to live on my own..! I'm not moving back, I'm good where I am, and Noelle's a good room-mate."  
"But you don't know her true intentions..!"  
"Funny, when you met her, you were saying she's a lovely person. Now, you see a gossip show and you want me to stay away from her? I thought you weren't the sort to be influenced by tv and that you preferred to trust your own judgement." - Francesca remarked.  
"But now it's about you, Fran! It's only natural for me to get wary! I just want my child to be safe."  
"I am not a child anymore, Mom. I can take care of myself."  
"But what if she-"  
"I'm busy right now. Let's save the talk for another time, okay?"  
"But..."  
"I really can't talk now, there's too much to do. Bye, Mom."  
"Alright… Take care of yourself, Fran." - Taylor replied with a defeated sigh.  
When the conversation ended, Francesca sighed in relief and a certain disappointement in her mother's attitude. Taylor got to know Noelle before the show aired, so shouldn't she trust her? Especially that Metananda's sayings had no real grounds. __"I guess that's the terrifying power of fake rumors and medias…"__ \- Fran thought sadly before resuming her work.

Later that day, when the school day was over, Sam and Piper exited the school building and saw their father waiting for them. It was one of the days when he didn't finish his work late. With a short greeting, the kids sat in the car and Dr Gaster started the motor. As they were driving in the direction of the house, the doctor commented:  
"I have a feeling you're mad at me again. What is it this time?"  
"Everyone speaks badly about Noelle now. All because of that stupid show!" - Sam said - "And we believe you're to blame."  
"Here we go again... Why when something unfortunate happens to you or Miss Doe, you think it's my fault?" - Gaster asked as he sighed in irritation.  
"Because it is. You can deny it, but we know you're behind the gossip." - Sam replied, crossing his arms.  
"Urgh… Give me a break from your fantasies, I already don't feel well." - Gaster said.  
"What's wrong?" - Piper asked as she frowned in concern.  
"Just my hands aching since this morning." - her father replied, his gaze still focused on the road.  
"His hands usually ache when he hurts his sons…" - Piper said thoughtfully to herself, recalling the comic book.  
"What is that you're muttering?" - Gaster quickly looked at his daughter in the mirror.  
"Nothing, just thinking." - Piper avoided his gaze.  
"I hope it's not something about your comic book again."  
"We think your hands ache because your conscience isn't clear." - Sam said.  
"Nonsense. My physical pain is in no way connected to my mind state." - Gaster denied, then added - "There's nothing I feel bad about anyway."  
"Sure..." - Piper sighed with annoyance.

Meanwhile, at Sancho and Paxton's apartement, Noelle sat down on the couch, breathing out as she finally relaxed. There was more work to do than anticipated, but now she was content that the place looked good again.  
"Sorry if you're exhausted now." - Sancho said.  
"You really should take better care of your room, Sancho..." - Noelle replied - "Do you really do __nothing__ when your brother's gone to work?"  
"Yep, that's what I do the best." - Sancho answered with a wide smile.  
"Don't you consider to get hired somewhere? It's not good for your well-being to spend days doing nothing."  
"Actually, I do two things: I eat and I nap."  
"You're basically a big baby." - Noelle chuckled.  
"I used to have a job, you know. But I quicly lost it when I fell asleep at work."  
"Why am I not surprised... Anyway, when's your brother coming home?"  
"In one hour or two."  
"Shall you start make him dinner then?" - Noelle asked.  
"Uhh... Pax's the one who cooks." - Sancho replied.  
"Sancho, you should be ashamed of yourself." - Noelle stood up from the couch and put her hands on her hips - "Your brother's the only one who works, but he also must do all the chores __and__ cook after a long tiring day."  
"Yeah, I'm not good enough for him..." - Sancho admitted, blushing in shame.  
"Well, since I'm arleady here, I suggest we both cook for him today!"  
"No, no! You already did a lot, I can't let you-"  
"Sancho, your brother works hard to keep order in our town. He deserves we pamper him at least today." - Noelle said as she walked in the kitchen - "What's his favorite food?"  
"It's spaghetti."  
"Sweet, another Italian food lover!" - Noelle said with shining eyes - "I know a good sauce recipe. He should like it."  
The two proceeded to make the dinner. As Sancho was helping Noelle, he realized that it was probably the day when he had been the most active. He then noticed how dedicated Noelle was to her task, her facial expression showing nothing but her focus on the dinner. After a moment, when the woman was tasting the sauce she was making, Sancho asked:  
"Why are you doing this?"  
"I already told you, I want to repay Paxton for what he did for me." - Noelle replied.  
"Yes, but what else? I mean, why did you help me with chores in the first place?"  
Noelle looked at the man, who clearly expected an honest answer. She sighed and explained:  
"When I do house chores, I can forget just for a moment my troubles. Cleaning up the apartement with you permitted me to not think about last night's show."  
"Has it always helped you?" - Sancho asked, already guessing the answer.  
"Yes. It's something that has developed when I was in the foster system." - Noelle replied - "After a fight with another kid, a bad day at school or else, the chores would help me to calm down."  
"It's true chores have a calming effect. When I start doing them, I quickly fall asleep."  
This made Noelle giggle a little. Then, she said:  
"But what I said earlier still applies. I actually want to thank your brother for his kindness."  
"I can tell."  
They kept cooking for a while and it was ready shortly before Paxton returned from work. The policeman was greeted by his brother, while Noelle was still in the kitchen.  
"Hey, bro. I did as you asked." - Sancho said - "My room's as good as new, the apartement's dusted and the laundry's done."  
"Really? Wowie! I must say I expected the apartement to be the same at my return! But I'm glad you did as I requested." - Paxton said as he looked around, noticing that the place looked better.  
"But I must admit I was helped."  
"Don't tell me you hired a charlady?"  
"No, I came willingly and helped him to clean the mess." - Noelle said as she finally showed herself, surprising Paxton - "Good evening, Officer."  
"Please, right now I'm a civilian, so you can call me by just my name!" - Paxton said with a smile - "But did you really help my brother with the house chores?"  
"Yes. I even made the dinner." - Noelle replied shyly.  
"Oh no, you shouldn't have..." - Paxton grew embarassed.  
"After you offered to pay the hotel bill, I felt like I had to repay you somehow. It'll be difficult now for me to find a job and pay back in money, so…"  
"You shouldn't think about that, really. What happened to you is unfair and scandalous. A visitor of our town must be treated with dignity!" - Paxton said seriously - "So, forget the bill."  
Noelle smiled in response. Then, she and Sancho set the table while Paxton got himself changed from his police uniform to regular clothes. He came out from his room dressed in jeans and a red sweater. As the three sat and started to eat, Sancho asked with a mischievous smile:  
"Now, how was your day, Pax? No one... _****pasta****_-way?"  
"Sancho!" - Paxton groaned in annoyance.  
His brother only smiled, satisfied with his pun. To him, if Paxton was annoyed, this meant the pun was good. Even though Paxton would get annoyed by any pun. Noelle then asked a more serious question:  
"Paxton, you didn't get in trouble for the parking incident, right..?"  
"Not really. My superior just lectured me for not being stern enough, and said that I'll never be promoted to Investigator if I continue to be too 'soft'." - Paxton answered - "But that won't be the first time she says that. I just think that you must take into account individual situations to do good justice. But my Sergeant says that law is law and that it must be applied the same to everyone, no matter the circumpstances."  
"Well, it's not illegal for an policeman to demonstrate lenience." - Noelle stated.  
"Yeah, but Ondine, she… doesn't like this." - Paxton said, before taking a bite of the spaghetti - "Really, those taste so good..! The sauce is… wow! It's different from the way I cook it!"  
"I just mixed the tomato puree with cream. It offsets the sourness of tomatoes." - Noelle explained.  
"Wowie! I thought I was the best spaghettore, but now I think I found a worthy competitor for the title!"  
Then, taking Noelle by surprise, Paxton... hugged her. Noelle blushed out of embarassement and couldn't think what the say or do.  
"Thank you...?" - she eventually managed.  
"Oh, sorry, I got carried away? Did I make you uncomfortable?" - Paxton asked in concern - "I don't want to be a bad host."  
"No, I'm fine… It's alright.." - Noelle reassured him.  
"If Pax loves your cooking so much, maybe you should come make dinner more often?" - Sancho said with a grin.  
"Sancho! It's rude to ask people do tasks for them on a regular basis if said people aren't your workers!" - Paxton exclaimed.  
"__She__ insisted on making dinner." - Sancho pointed out - "So, it's only fair."  
"No, it's not! If she offered a favor once, it doesn't mean you must take advantage of it and ask for more!"  
Noelle giggled at the small bickering. It was clear the two brothers adored each other, and she was glad that they also seemed to like her. Sancho and Paxton actually were a pleasant company.  
"Really... Excuse my brother, Noelle." - Paxton apologized - "You offer a hand, he grabs the arm."  
"That's alright. I'm actually someway flattered."  
That evening, Sancho felt as if it all was… right. He, his brother and their new friend Noelle spending time together seemed to be the most natural thing in the world, even though Sancho couldn't tell why. It was with pleasant thoughts and feelings that he fell asleep that night.  
__  
"None of us is powerful enough to undo the doctor's work. But one person is."  
"W-who is that person...?"  
"The child born from a human and a monster."  
"you mean..?"  
"The only way to save us from the De-Code is to send __**__Noelle__**__ away."__

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**A/N: Yay, Sancho/Sans is starting to remember! :D ****Another more light-hearted chapter, because in the next one, Noelle will go through lots of stress and sadness again. So, let's make her bond with her family for the time being. ;)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry if it too long to update. I'm just quite busy lately… :/**

**But the good news is that from the next chapter, things start to get _really_ interesting! I can't wait to share the rest of the story with you. :)**

**And big thanks to Cheeky The Monkey for your kind words! It's very appreciated. And if you like the Papyrus/Frisk pairing, then keep an eye on my account. After a couple of more chapters, I'll start uploading the many one-shots I have about them! ^^**

* * *

Gaster woke up from the sudden sharp pain that his hands were experiencing. He looked on his alarm clock and sighed in annoyance when he saw what time it was: 5:20 a.m. Gaster closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep again, but the progressively rising pain didn't let him. So, he stood up and walked to the bathroom. As he turned on the lights, he opened the cabinet above the sink and proceeded to search for pharmaceuticals. As a doctor, he always had lots of different medications in his house. But the drawback was that he couldn't always find immediately what he was looking for. His (relatively) small bathroom didn't permit him to label everything in an alphabetical order, like it was the case in the hospital. Dr Gaster got suddenly interrupted in his searching by the voice of his daughter.  
"Dad? What are you doing..?"  
He turned to face her after a short gasp. Piper was standing next to the doorframe in her pink PJs and with an obviously sleepy expression. The doctor sighed and asked:  
"Piper, why are you up? It's half past five."  
"I heard noise in the bathroom, so I came to see what's going on."  
"Sorry I woke you up…" - Gaster said as he pursued his searching - "My hands ache too much, I'm looking for some painkillers."  
"Did the pain get worse?" - the girl asked with curiousity and concern.  
"Yes. It hurts so much I can't sleep." - her father replied before taking out of the box some pills - "Ah, there!"  
Gaster proceeded to fill a glass with water. Piper approached him a little and suggested:  
"Maybe you should fix what you did wrong..?"  
"What? Oh no, not that conversation again…" - Gaster let out an annoyed moan.  
"But your hands ache since Noelle lost her good name." - Piper pointed out.  
"That's merely a coincidence." - Gaster replied before swallowing his painkillers.  
"You don't want to admit to me anything… It's okay. But... please, can you just try to be good sometimes?"  
Gaster didn't know what to reply. His aching hands probably didn't let him to think straight. After a moment of silence, he said:  
"It's basically still night, you should return to bed."  
"Alright…" - Piper said before walking out of the bathroom, but before going to her bedroomn she turned to her father once more and said - "I hope your hands'll get better soon."  
Gaster only nodded at her before she went out of his sight. Despite himself, a small smile then appeared on his face. Piper reminded him so much of… But Gaster shook his head and went back to his own bedroom. Maybe with the painkillers, he could get a little more sleep.

The next morning, Francesca was making tea, while Noelle didn't feel like to get up from her bed and join her friend. When two cups of tea were reaady, Fran gently knocked at Noelle's bedroom door, asking permission to enter. She heard a faint come in, so she walked up to Noelle's bed and sat next to her friend.  
"I made tea." - she said.  
"Not thirsty…" - Noelle replied.  
"Come on, join me in the kitchen." - Fran said - "Tea is a drink that comes with chatting."  
"There's nothing I want to talk about."  
"Noelle, you can't stay in your room forever. Get up, or you'll turn just like the poor Blake."  
"That's not a so bad idea. I feel like trash."  
"Don't say that!" - Fran said with a mother-like stern tone - "You're not trash, and if you believe that you are, then others will think that too."  
"They already do, so I'm just catching up, I guess." - Noelle said as she sat up with a sigh - "Don't you see that I can't just go outside and do whatever I like? People despise me, they think I'm taking advantage of you and that I'm here to destroy the Gaster family. Wherever I'll go, there will be judgemental glares and I can't bear this!"  
"Look, if you keep hiding from the world, this will only reinforce the belief in Metananda's words. Go out, prove them all wrong. Make them see you in a different light." - Francesca advised her friend.  
"_You_ are telling me that?" - Noelle shook her head in disbelief - "You are always scared to make important decisions!"  
Francesca lowered her gaze, and Noelle then regretted what she said.  
"I'm sorry... I didn't want to be mean."  
"But that's true. I can't force you to make a so huge effort, when I don't always find the strength to make it." - Fran said - "But I still advise you to move forward, because you're the one who inspired me to do just that."  
Her cellphone then suddenly rang. She answered the call, going out of the room, yet standing close to the doorframe. Noelle guessed it was either Taylor or Anderson, so she listened to the half-conversation.  
"Hello, Mom. … Yes, I'm doing well. My job's alright, not as scary as I first expected it would be. Im getting used to it. … No, I didn't change my mind since yesterday. I'm not moving back home." - Fran sighed, then tried to lower her tone - "Mom, your wariness is ridiculous. … Dad and you saw her, you should know better."  
Noelle stood up from her bed and made a few more steps in the direction of her door, to have a better hearing.  
"If you can't trust her, at least trust me. … I'm not completely naive. … No, she doesn't have a job yet. … But Mom, how can she find one when everyone in Undertown has the same attitude you and Dad have?"  
Noelle felt pain from what she was hearing. She was glad Fran was still on her side and tried to defend her, but she was sad that the two nice people who seemed to like her at first changed their opinion on her. Noelle sat down on her bed again, letting out a desperate sigh. Fran then finished her conversation and entered the room again. As she saw her friend's defeated expression, she guessed that she heard the conversation.  
"You heard everything, huh…? I should've went in my room."  
"See what I was talking about?" - Noelle asked her friend - "Everyone's against me, even your parents. If they, the first concerned people, are unconvinced by my sincerity, then no one else will be."  
"But I believe you. And the two friends you made yesterday believe you too." - Francesca pointed out - "That makes three persons on your side. This proves you can convince others too!"  
"I don't know, Fran…"  
"Come on, go have a walk. It's a beautiful day outside." - Fran encouraged her - "You can even go with your cafe-pal."  
"Sancho." - Noelle reminded the guy's name.  
"Right, Sancho." - Fran repeated - "And who knows, maybe you'll meet Sam and Piper?"  
"All right, you won... I'll go have a walk." - Noelle stood up from her bed, pleasing her friend - "But why won't _you_ come along?"  
"I promised to Nathan Blake to keep him company. He'll make me listen some tracks he mixed."  
"Oh, but I love music, I want to hear it too."  
"No, you are going_ outside_." - Francescaad said with a stern tone but with an amused grin.  
Noelle got dressed and half-heartedly went out of the apartement. As she descended the stairs, she wondered how her day would be like. The thought to be the center of people's disapproving gazes stressed her. When she exited the building, she was pleasantly surprised to see Sam and Piper.  
"Oh, hi Noelle!" - Piper greeted her - "We were about to visit you, 'cause we were worried."  
"So, where are you going?" - Sam asked.  
"Just to have a walk." - Noelle answered.  
"You're brave." - Sam approved.  
"Not really..." - Noelle replied - "Your father doesn't mind you to wander in the town?"  
"No, he said we could go to a walk on our own." - Sam answered.  
"He doesn't feel well, so right now he's not in the mood to keep an eye on us." - Piper said.

Meantime, Dr Gaster dialed Alicia's number and waited for her to answer. She didn't answer straight away, so he guessed she was busy at work. Gaster was lying flat on his bed, just staring at the ceiling. The painkillers he took in the middle of the night helped on short term, but now his hands were bothering him again. He even worried he'd drop the phone he was holding.  
"Hello?" - Alicia's voice got heard.  
"Hello, Alicia." - Dr Gaster said with a tired tone - "Look, could you please inform the staff that I'm taking a day off today?"  
"Of course, Dr Gaster. But... uh... w-what's wrong..? If you don't m-mind me asking…"  
"My hands are bothering me." - Gaster replied, but soon regretted saying that as soon as he heard Alicia worrying about him.  
"Oh, but then why don't you come so I can do a checkup? We really should do that, who knows what it is! That's weird, your hands have been fine for a while now, so-"  
"Alicia, I can't drive safely in my condition." - Gaster stated - "It's alright, don't worry too much about it. If it still hurts tomorrow, I'll do the checkup Monday. Today I'll just get some rest."  
"Okay, i-if you think it to be the b-best…" - Alicia said - "But don't let your health degrade. As a doctor, you surely know it would be a bad idea."  
"Yes, I know. So, please Alicia, don't worry right now. We'll see each other Monday in any case."  
"Yeah, right... Rest well, Dr Gaster and I hope it's nothing severe about your… your h-hands."  
"I hope that too. Have a good day, Alicia."  
They ended their conversation and Gaster closed his eyes, in an attempt to relax. But the pain didn't permit him to do so. He tried to rub his hands, but that didn't help much. After a moment of trying to lie on different positions, Dr Gaster stood up and decided to smoke a cigarette. It wouldn't really help, but at least it would distract him from the pain.

Noelle, Sam and Piper had a calm walk across the park. The trees had now lost most of its leaves, which created a beautiful red leaves carpet on the grass.  
"It's a lovely sight." - Noelle commented with a smile.  
"I love make bunches of red leaves." - Piper said as she was picking up the prettiest leaves on the ground - "It's fun, 'cause it looks colorful and bushy."  
"And when she finishes her masterpiece, I love throwing it up from her hands." - Sam whispered to Noelle, making her grin.  
"Hey! I heard that. And don't you dare ruin my bunch today." - Piper said, sounding offended.  
"Aw, sorry sis. It's just too fun." - Sam said with a grin.  
"No, it's not!" - Piper protested as she picked another leaf.  
"It's never fun for the person who puts all the effort into making something to see it ruined in a few seconds." - Noelle agreed.  
"But the result is amazing!" - Sam argued - "When I throw the leaves above our heads, the leaves fall down like a rain."  
"I guess that must look cool." - Noelle admitted.  
The little "family" kept walking. At some point, Piper got a bunch of red leaves so thick that it was difficult to hold everything together in one hand. Sam took this as a signal and, as Piper tried wanted to pick another leaf, he quickly grabbed the bunch from her hand and threw it high above their heads.  
"Sam, no!" - Piper screamed, annoyed.  
"It's the autumn rain!" - Sam exclaimed with joy.  
The two kids were looking as the leaves were falling around them and on their own heads as well. Piper was in fact enjoying this as well. After all, what would she do of that bunch anyway? Sam and Piper then started to throw piles of leaves at each other. Noelle was smiling as she watched the kids having fun in the fallen leaves. Watching them play and have fun gave her a... bittersweet feeling. The sight of the twins being so happy made her heart swell, but she also now wished she never gave them up in the first place. True, she gave them for adoption in their best interests, but she missed nine years of Sam and Piper growing up. Noelle never saw them have fun, play around. She didn't hear them say their first words, nor did she see them make their first steps. She didn't accompany them at their very first school day. _"But I guess it's too late to think about this now… I made my choice nine years ago, it can't be changed now."_ Noelle now slightly envied Dr Gaster, since the doctor had the chance to experience all those things. As she was thinking that, the kids stopped playing and ran up to her.  
"Hey, can we eat somewhere now?" - Sam asked.  
"Uh..?" - Noelle asked as she got pulled out of her light transe - "Oh, yes, of course we can."  
"Let's go then!" - Sam said as he started to run away.  
"There's a cool fast-food restaurant not far from here!" - Piper said as she grabbed Noelle's hand, dragging her along.  
The twins were surely very energetic. As Noelle let them lead the way, she noticed on the corner of her eye a few people staring at them, some of them even muttering something to each other. They were gossiping about her again. But for the sake of Sam and Piper, Noelle decided to ignore that and pretend everything was all okay. But it was not.  
When they arrived at the fast-food restaurant, Noelle glanced nervously around, worrying that she'd attract other customers' attention. But thanksfully, the employee who served them seemed to be the sort of guy who didn't care too much about anything anymore. So, he didn't give her awkward looks, neither did he speak to her with a cold tone. He spoke to her in the same tone as to other customers - apathic. When their plates of food were almost ready, the guy said:  
"The onion rings will be ready in two minutes. Take a seat meanwhile, I'll bring it to you when it's ready."  
Noelle, Sam and Piper found an empty table and started to eat as soon as they sat down. But soon, Noelle noticed that the people from a neighbor table were sending looks in their direction.  
"We maybe shouldn't have came here..." - she whispered to the twins - "People are looking at me."  
"Don't worry. As soon as you save us all, they'll regret the stares they gave you." - Sam tried to cheer her up.  
"I'm not some savior, Sam." - Noelle shook her head.  
"Of course you are. You have a special SOUL." - Piper insisted.  
"Guys, can we please not discuss it here? We already attracted attention by simply being here." - Noelle requested.  
"Why do you act as if you have something to blame yourself for? You did nothing wrong, so act your usual." - Sam asked.  
"Because almost the entire town despises me." - Noelle pointed out - "I just can't bear it. I could live without being really loved, but the hate is too much."  
"Others are just very dumb, so don't pay attention." - Sam said.  
"No, Sam. It's not because people are dumb, but because your father is too clever." - Noelle disagreed - "He knows how much influence Metananda has over the people, so he used the efficient tool. Everyone loves the glamour tv star, he entertains them, makes them laugh… He basically stole their hearts. So of course people believe that every Metananda's word is pure truth. His pretty speech is enough to convince them that I'm a bad guy, while my word's worth nothing. Who'd believe the Miss Doe who abandoned her own children?"  
"Here's your onion rings, miss." - a voice said.  
Noelle looked up and saw that it was the fast-food employee who served them.  
"Thank you." - Noelle said as she took the pack of onion rings.  
"I didn't meant to eavesdrop, but… are you _the_ Noelle Doe Metananda talked about on tv?"  
"Yes. So what?" - the woman asked in a monotone voice.  
"Just wanted to say I sympathize." - the fast-food employee said - "You're not the only person whose life's been ruined by Metananda."  
This statement awoke interest and curiousity from Noelle. She looked up at the guy, asking:  
"What do you mean?"  
"The guy ruined my life when I was only nineteen. So now, instead of following my dream to be an artist, I'm stuck here, working seven days a week. This place is supervised by Metananda himself, you know. Since my boss hired me to work here, I had no day off in years."  
"That must be hard for you... Buster." - Noelle said as she read his name on his uniform.  
"It is. Metananda looks so 'classy' and 'cool' on tv, but in real life, he's a jerk." - Buster confided.  
"Didn't he ever consider to change your working shedule?" - Noelle asked, tilting her head in interest.  
"I tried to confront him _once_ about the issue, but... as soon as the conversation started, I realized that it was a _very bad_ idea." - Buster answered - "The best is to just shut up and do my job."  
"I'm sorry, Buster."  
"But I guess I have to go back take orders. Enjoy your meal, I guess…" - Buster said with his usual monotone voice.  
As Buster walked away, Noelle could tell that he was unhappy to work there. It seemed like Metananda didn't value the efforts his employee had to make.  
"When we're done eating, you'll go back home." - Noelle instructed the twins.  
"If you want so..." - Piper said, sounding slightly disappointed.  
"We mustn't make our father suspicious anyway, Piper." - Sam said to his sister.  
"Too late for that, guys." - Noelle remarked.

Dr Gaster was standing at the porch of his house, dropping and crushing the remaining of the second cigarette he just finished.  
"Are you smoking again, Gaster?" - a familiar female voice got suddenly heard - "As a doctor, you surely know it kills, right?"  
"Oh, hello Taylor." - Gaster said as he saw her - "How do you do?"  
"I return you the question. Alicia told Anderson, who told me, that your hands are aching."  
"...They are, but it'll pass."  
"You don't sound so convinced about it." - Taylor remarked as she approached the doctor - "I came here because I think I might make you feel better."  
"Medications didn't help, so I doubt anything else could." - Gaster pointed out.  
"Are you doubting me, Gaster?" - Taylor asked with a smile.  
"N-no! I would never doubt you, Taylor...!" - Gaster said as his face flushed ever-so-slightly.  
"So, let me take care of you. It'll surely do you a better good than smoking." - Taylor said witha smile.  
"I guess you have a point..."  
They entered the house and walked in the living room. Taylor suggested Gaster to lie on the couch, which he did, while she sat next to him. She then took his right hand and said:  
"Just tell me if I hurt you."  
Gaster just nodded, and Taylor proceeded to massage his hand. Taylor had very skilled hands and she was capable to lessen any pain. Nobody was able to tell how she was doing this, maybe it was an inborn talent of her own. Anderson even joked sometimes that Taylor's massage was 'magical'. Magic or not, it certainly had its effect. Gaster's body relaxed as the pain in his right hand was progressively lessening.  
"Is that okay?" - Taylor asked.  
Gaster just nodded in response, his eyes closed. Taylor then took his left hand and started to give it the same treatement. She was very gentle, careful to not hurt him. After a moment, she was done.  
"Do you feel any better?" - she asked.  
"Yes, thank you. My hands still sting, but it's not that unbearable."  
"I'm glad I could lessen the pain." - Taylor smiled - "Your hands aside, how are you doing? How are Sam and Piper doing?"  
"We're doing fine, I guess."  
"Are you sure? Where are they right now?"  
"I told them they could go for a walk." - Gaster replied.  
"Hmm, you shouldn't have. They're probably with Miss Doe now." - Taylor said with a disapproving tone.  
"I know, but they'd find a way to go see her anyway."  
"Doesn't it bother you when she's around your children?"  
"It does, of course. But not for the reasons you might think." - Gaster replied.  
"I'm not sure to follow now..." - Taylor frowned.  
"I mean, it's normal for me, as the adoptive parent, to keep my children at a certain distance from their biological mother. After all, I don't want them to see me as a stranger just because I didn't conceive them." - Gaster explained - "But I have a feeling your concerns are of a different nature, am I correct?"  
"Well... Yes. Metananda's show raised several questionings about her. So, it makes me unconfortable to know that my daughter lives with Miss Doe. From what we know about her, Metananda could as well be right. I tried to talk with Fran about this, but she doesn't want to hear anything. She refuses to move back to our house."  
Gaster couldn't help but mentally remark how strange it was to see Taylor so… judgemental. On the other hand, Toriel _did_ leave Asgore when the latter made wrong decisions, and it took a while for the royal couple to reconcile. Yet, in her both lives Taylor had been very protective towards youths. From what Gaster could guess, she must've been very welcoming towards Noelle Doe. But as soon as lies had been told about the latter, she changed her opinion, which was a disturbingly quick change.  
"You know... I thought you judged people from your personal ascertainements only." - Gaster said.  
"Francesca said me something similar yesterday." - Taylor mused - "Do you think I'm being blinded by the medias?"  
"You've always been a better judge than I am." - Gaster stated - "But this time, I think you _maybe_ should reconsider your view."  
"But you were calling my husband to share your concerns about Miss Doe before..."  
"For the reasons I told you earlier. I'm afraid to lose my children, but what parent isn't? You for instance, have always been so protective towards your daughter."  
"I suppose you have a point..."  
"This is why I am concerned about Miss Doe's presence." - Gaster said - "I saw her Taylor, and I can tell that she's not someone _you_ should fear."  
"So... do you believe it's okay for my daughter to be around her?" - Taylor asked.  
"As much as I hate Miss Doe's decision to stay in our town, I can tell your daughter will be fine." - Gaster answered.  
His honest answer made Taylor get very pensive.

Noelle found her way to the building where Sancho lived. She had checked by looking in the window of "Griffin's" and didn't see him there. Noelle could guess that if he wasn't there, he was surely at his home. Noelle went up the stairs of the building he lived in and she almost made it to Sancho and Paxton's apartement, but her way was blocked by two young women sitting on the stairs. One of them had wild curly dark hair, covered by a red cap. She was wearing a tomboyish attire. The other one had more feminine clothes, her blonde hair was tied in a ponytail. She also had green highlights.  
"Excuse me? You're in my way… Could you move a little so I can pass, please?" - Noelle requested.  
"On _your_ way? I thought ways belonged to everyone." - the curly-haired girl commented.  
"I'm not asking you to go away, just to give a small space to pass." - Noelle said calmly.  
"Let's move Skye, so she won't bother us anymore." - the blonde girl suggested her friend.  
The blonde with green highlights already started to move, but her friend did not, as she suddenly exclaimed:  
"Wait a sec… Aren't you the chick Meta talked about on tv?"  
"N-no." - Noelle lied, sounding nervous.  
"Yes! You definitely are!" - Skye said, then turned to her friend and said - "If what Metananda said is true, then we should _not_ let her pass. What do you think, Finna?"  
"If you say so." - her friend replied.  
"So, you shall not pass, girl." - Skye said to Noelle.  
"Just let me pass please, and I won't bother you further." - Noelle asked politely again.  
"No, but did you see that, Finna?" - Skye turned to her friend with an exaggerated scandalised tone - "She dares to ask us do something! Sorry, but we shall not do favors to a scrounger."  
"So, just turn back. The way's blocked." - Finna added.  
Noelle's face flushed red of anger and frustration. She wished she could simply settle the problem right there and then, but she didn't have it in her to engage fights. But all of sudden, a deep male voice came to her rescue.  
"Heya, ladies. Do you two want to have a _bad time_?"  
It was Sancho. Noelle noticed that this time, his face and his voice were somewhat... darker. Sancho radiated a dangerous aura that immediately intimidated Skye and Finna.  
"Err... we were just kidding, right?" - Skye said with a fearful tone.  
"Y-yeah, definitely." - Finna said with a nervous nod.  
"Then what are you two still doing in the girl's way?" - Sancho asked, his tone getting even deeper, sounding almost like a growl.  
Without saying a word, the two young women backed away, almost falling as they descended the stairs. Noelle sighed and as she went up the stairs, she said to her friend:  
"Maybe leaving the town isn't a bad idea after all..."  
"What? You're giving up?" - Sancho asked.  
"Giving up on what? I stayed only to see if Sam and Piper were okay." - Noelle reminded - "They're mostly fine. There are a couple of issues, but I guess it's family business."  
"You _are_ their family."  
"No, not really. I made my choice long ago, so the kids aren't mine, but Dr Gaster's." - Noelle said sadly - "And now, everyone hates me, because it looks like I want to steal Sam and Piper from him…"  
"Look, if you leave the town, _the doc will win_." - Sancho said seriously - "Is that what you want?"  
"Win? It's not a competition, Sancho. It's about the twins' well being."  
"I meant uh, if you leave, Gaster shall get what he wanted. He wants you to leave, right?"  
"Yes, but how can I stay?" - Noelle asked - "I'm not capable to stand my ground. I couldn't even deal with two bullies without your intervention, so how can I possibly face the doctor?"  
"I know, I'm the kind to give up easily, but you shouldn't do the same."  
"But I am nobody. Metananda, the famous tv star, has all the good cards. I, on the other hand, have nothing to prove my _bona fides_. If only I had anything to discredit him, I'd- wait a minute!" - realization suddenly hit Noelle - "I actually _do_ have something…"  
"Really? Then what are you waiting for, kid? Take action!" - Sancho encouraged her.  
Noelle smiled at him and ran down the stairs as fast as she could. She knew what to do. It was risky, but still worth trying.

Metananda was sitting at his desk, talking on the phone with someone. He was planning another "exciting" shedule for the week. But he got suddenly interrupted as the door bursted open and the voice of his secretary got heard:  
"You can't get in here!"  
"I don't care!" - Noelle replied firmly.  
Metananda turned around on his chair to face the violent visitor and cut short his phone conversation. He then instructed the secretary to leave, telling he'd deal with the issue himself. Once the two were alone, he looked up at Noelle and said:  
"My, my. What do we have here? An ambitious fan-girl desiring an authograph? I'm flattered."  
"No, I'm an agry victim of your gossip show." - Noelle said, her arms crossed over her chest.  
"Would you mind to clarify?" - Metananda asked - "I talk about many people on my show, I cannot remember them all."  
"Noelle Doe. The scrounger of the Mayor's money."  
"Oooh, right. The dull orphan girl." - the man commented, making Noelle glare at him - "So, what do you want? A monetary compensation for the moral damage, perhaps?"  
"I don't give a damn about your money. I want you to restore the truth and my honor." - Noelle said as calmly as she could.  
"I'm afraid I cannot do this, darling. You see, my show is suppposed to entertain. I provide my public stories they'd be interested to hear. However, the truth about you is a truth the public is _not_ interested to know!"  
"Oh really? I wonder if the public would be interested to know some truth about _you_, Metananda." - Noelle said.  
"There's only faboulous stuff in the story about me, darling."  
"I'm not so sure. What if some people had to find out that..." - Noelle paused - "...you're exploiting a person in that fast-food restaurant of yours?"  
"I have no idea what you're talking about." - Metananda denied her statement.  
"I'm talking about the guy who you make work seven days a week. Normally, he has the right to _at least one_ legal day off." - Noelle said - "It's not something you'd want the town authorities to find out."  
"Are you threatening me? No point in that, the issue's nothing I can't deal with."  
"You might make it without too much problems in the end, but as soon as there will be an investigation, your reputation will be definitely damaged. When your audience finds out what kind of an employer you are, your ratings might drop."  
Metananda felt sweat forming on his face. He had to admit the girl had a solid point there. He couldn't permit his name to be covered in dirt!  
"Uh. You're a bold one, Miss Doe. I like it." - Metananda said with a wink, but Noelle was unfazed - "Alright, alright. Tomorrow night, I'll restore your good name."  
"You better do that." - Noelle said before walking in the direction of the door, but before she exited she added - "And don't think about firing the guy either. If you do, my warning still applies."  
"You really should work for me. I like daring people."  
"No, thanks."

Surprisingly enough, Metananda did as Noelle asked. The next day, he admitted that ninety percent of what he said about Noelle was false. But of course, he did so by stroking his ego over and over, inventing a story of how the great tv star got scandalously misleaded by his incompetent informators. Noelle didn't mind, as long as the truth about her was restored.  
"But would you actually do what you threatened to do?" - Fran asked curiously.  
"Honestly? I'm not sure." - Noelle replied.  
Francesca's cellphone rang at that moment. It was Taylor again. After a short chat, Fran gave the phone to Noelle, saying:  
"My mom wants to talk with you."  
A bit unsure, Noelle took the phone.  
"Hello?"  
"Hello, this is Taylor. Look, I... I wanted to apologize for my attitude towards you."  
"Uh... thank you, I guess…" - Noelle replied awkwardly.  
"I knew deep down that you weren't capable of what Metananda said on tv, but... you know, when your children are involved, you just want to protect them, no matter what. So, will you forgive me, Noelle?"  
"Yes, I forgive you Mrs Underwood. But... I'm a bit disappointed you needed another tv episode to realize the truth." - Noelle said with a sad sigh.  
"In fact... I changed my mind after a talk with Dr Gaster, last afternoon." - Taylor replied, surprising Noelle - "He had invited me to reconsider my judgement."  
"He... He did..?"  
"Yes, my child. He spoke, um... relatively nicely about you."  
Noelle wasn't sure what to think anymore. Dr Gaster was responsible of the bad reputation she had to bear for a couple of days. And yet, he defended her in front of Taylor? _"This man is a very polarizing figure..."_ \- Noelle thought.

W.D. Gaster was cooking dinner for Sam and Piper as he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. It was a text from Alicia.  
**"How are your hands doing, Dr Gaster?"**  
Gaster frowned and then realized something he had failed to notice. His hands haven't been aching for some time now. He didn't even realize… He couldn't even tell how long ago the pain stopped. So, Gaster replied to his friend by his own text:  
**"They don't hurt anymore, don't worry."  
"Good to hear that. :) But you should still do the checkup tomorrow, just in case."  
**Gaster then replied by an agreement just to please her, but deep down he did realize that the checkup was not necessary. However, he hated to admit the cause of his pain and of its current absence.

* * *

**A/N: Gaster: If I 'defended' Noelle Doe, it's only for my queen to never change.**  
**Me: Sure, whatever you say.**

**As you probably have guessed, the two 'bullies' are no other than Skateboard Girl and Fuku Fire.**  
**And yes, the hands ache played a role, as promised. ^^ Taylor's 'miracle massage' refers to Toriel's good healing ability.**


	8. Chapter 8

**And here comes another chapter! This time, I was quick huh? ^^ All the serious stuff starts from now on! Read and enjoy!**

* * *

Noelle was having a drink with Sam and Piper, sitting at the counter table at Griffin's. The twins had P.E. as their last lesson of the school day, so they were obviously tired and thirsty. When they met Noelle outside the school, they begged her to offer them a drink. She couldn't refuse, and it was quite obvious that it was partially an excuse to spend some time with her again. Noelle was only glad to spend time with the kids. Plus, she was in a good mood, since Mr Griffin offered her a job in his cafe. As the three enjoyed their drinks, their attention got caught by the flash news displayed on the small tv at the ceiling of the cafe. Metananda was once again the presentator (were there even others in Undertown..?), but this time he wasn't wearing flashy colors as he usually did. This time, he was wearing a black suit. Noelle quickly understood why as he started to present the news.  
"Last night, a horrible tragedy happened in our town. While the librarian was arranging books on the shelves, a young man, who stayed late at the library, had been murdered. He received several knife stabs on his upper body, so it was in a puddle of blood his body was found by the librarian a few minutes later. The library had to close its doors today, the time for our officers to study the crime scene. It should reopen tomorrow, at its usual hour. For now, the police shall try to figure out if the victim had any enemies who could've committed the crime."  
Metananda then displayed a photo of the killed boy. Noelle was shocked to see that he was only fifteen years old. He was wearing round glasses. An interview of the shocked and crying parents was then shown. It was painful to watch, and from what the couple said, the boy was the best student in his class and he had high ambitions.  
"It's so sad…" - Noelle commented - "He was so young, and his life had been taken before he could accomplish his dreams."  
"Yeah, life can be so unfair kid." - a familiar voice said.  
Noelle, as well as Sam and Piper turned their heads on their left to see Sancho, who apparently arrived a few moments ago. It wasn't a surprise to see him there, though.  
"Sancho... How did your brother bear the event?" - Noelle asked him.  
"His face was pale when he returned home in the middle of the night." - Sancho replied with a sad sigh - "Pax barely talked with me this morning."  
"I understand his shock."  
As the two adults were talking, Sam and Piper had a whispering exchange of their own.  
"So, Noelle knows Sancho and Paxton?" - Sam said - "That's very good."  
"Should we tell her who the two brothers are?" - Piper asked.  
"No, I think she's not ready yet."  
"What are you two whispering about?" - Noelle asked, raising an eyebrow.  
"It's nothing." - Sam replied a bit too quickly.  
"I see, it's about your De-Code thing again?" - Noelle guessed.  
"Maybe." - Piper replied awkwardly.  
As Noelle shook her head in amusement, Sancho asked curiously:  
"A 'De-Code'?"  
"Yeah, don't pay attention." - Noelle replied - "The kids are just going through a 'living-in-a-fantasy-world' phase."  
"I say that the wildest of fantasies can sometimes feel more __real__ than reality." - Sancho said with a mysterious smile.  
Sam and Piper got the impression that Sancho was gazing them directly when he said the last part of the phrase. And did he put an emphasis on the word "real"? The twins looked at each other, wordlessly asking "Do you think he knows?". Noelle didn't notice any of that, and slightly reprimanded Sancho for his words.  
"You shouldn't encourage them. The fantasy world is wonderful, but it can turn unhealthy when you're not careful."  
"It can be a disease as much as a therapy." - Sancho shrugged before receiving his order from a waitress.  
At that moment, the door of the cafe entered and an annoyed Dr Gaster entered. His arms crossed over his chest, he glanced at his children, saying:  
"I thought I had repeated enough times that you two must return home __immediately__ after school."  
"We were so tired after physical education, we were thirsty." - Piper explained with a tired tone.  
"Of course, it's with Miss Doe you __had to__ rest and drink." - Dr Gaster commented, before addressing to the young woman directly - "And how many times must I see you sitting in this cafe?"  
"Well, get used to this, 'cause I'm working here from tomorrow." - Noelle replied, giving the doctor just a quick glance.  
"Just great…" - Gaster muttered, realizing that he'd have to see her face every morning.  
"And we thought you'd return home later?" - Sam asked.  
"My today's shedule just changed. I owe you no justification though."  
"But then why do __we__ always have to explain ourselves?" - Piper asked.  
"Because parental hypocrisy." - Noelle said, without even glancing at the doctor.  
"I see someone's in a bad mood." - Dr Gaster said, raising an eyebrow.  
"No, no." - Noelle shook her head before facing Gaster - "You know, things got a lot better since my honor had been restored. In the end, no real harm had been done but even so, I believe I deserve an apology."  
Dr Gaster felt a slight shudder cross his body. He knew that Noelle had a point. But was there even a point to apologize, knowing that they just couldn't get along on a long term? Noelle was still staring at him, expecting him to say something.  
"I suppose you do." - Gaster finally answered to Noelle's previous statement.  
"So...?" - Noelle encouraged him to continue, with an expecting look.  
Another moment of silence passed. But it didn't end like one could expect. Without saying a word, Dr Gaster just turned around and left the cafe. The twins looked at each other with a dazed look, and Noelle mentally facepalmed. Gaster truly was a rather… special case.  
"At least, he __admitted__ that he owed you an apology. It's the best you can get from him anyway." - Sancho, who was observing the scene from the corner of his eye, remarked under his breath.  
"So... I guess Piper and I shall go." - Sam said - "See ya, Noelle."  
"Bye, bye, Noelle." - Piper said as the twins went in the direction of the door.  
"Have a good evening, guys." - Noelle said, before the kids left the cafe.

Later that evening, when the homework was done and as Gaster was busy in the kitchen, Sam and Piper were chatting in the living room, while looking out the window.  
"Do you think Sancho remembers he's actually Sans?" - Piper asked quietly her brother.  
"I'm pretty sure he does." - Sam replied - "He's a lazy, but clever guy."  
"Should we ask him?"  
"We need an opportunity."  
Then, the twins saw something interesting. At the other side of the garden, near the gate of Gaster's property, there was a white dog. Sam and Piper immediately recognized it to be the dog from the police station, often seen with Paxton or Sergeant Ondine. The dog seemed to wait something.  
"Sam, what if the dog's waiting for us?" - Piper suggested.  
"I dunno. Let's go outside quietly." - Sam said.  
The twins made sure their father wasn't looking before grabbing their coats and, without doing any noise, left the house. As they approached the dog, he started to wag his tail. So, the twins understood him right.  
"Hello, Dog." - Piper said.  
"What is it? What's the matter?" - Sam asked.  
As a response, the dog started to pull Piper's coat a little. The kids looked at each other, then at the dog again.  
"Do you want us to follow you?" - Sam asked.  
The dog pulled Piper's coat once again.  
"I guess you do. Let's go, Piper."  
"What? We can't go outside now." - Piper protested - "Dad will get worried, then angry..!"  
"The dog surely wants to show us something very important, we can't miss that chance!" - her brother said - "You're not backing up, are you?"  
"No... No, I'm not. Okay, let's follow the dog."  
With a last quick glance in the direction of their house, the kids followed the dog wherever he'd lead them. The little team went across different streets until they arrived at a rather… dark place. It was a graveyard. The twins hesitated for a moment before entering the territory where the dead rested. And the fact that the sun had almost set wasn't helping. But then they gathered their courage and kept following the dog. They kept looking around, but soon they somewhat relaxed when the dog brought them at a familiar spot. It was a tombstone they knew well, since it was Gaster's mother's.  
"Why did you bring us here, Dog?" - Sam asked with a puzzling expression.  
The dog started to do what made the twins gasp. He started to dig.  
"What is he doing?" - Piper asked, alarmed.  
"Oh! Is there some secret hidden there?" - Sam asked.  
The dog obviously couldn't reply, he just kept digging. Piper turned to her brother and said, as she understood:  
"Of course... Something very __very__ important must be kept hidden there! The mother's tomb is the safest place for Dad to hide well something."  
"A secret he'd take to the grave… Cool…" - Sam nodded with an excited grin.  
"But... It's not right to dig someone's grave… Especially Dad's mother." - Piper remarked with a worried look.  
"Oh, but there's no actual corpse here, sis. His mother died back during the war between humans and monsters. So, here we have just a tombstone."  
"Right... But I'm still nervous… What if we get caught?"  
"We'll help the dog to dig!" - Sam decided - "That way, we'll be done quickier."  
That said, the kids knelt down and proceeded to dig along with the dog. The dog made the ground softer, but it was still not easy for the kids to use just their hands. They hoped that whatever was hidden there, it wasn't burried too deep. Luckily, they soon found what the dog seemed to be looking for.  
"Keys?" - Piper asked with a frown as she took it in her hands - "What do you think they unlock?"  
"I don't know…" - Sam replied.  
Suddenly a flash of light illuminated the area around them, taking them by surprise. The kids turned around, and gasped as they saw Seargent Ondine pointing a flashlight at them with a pissed off expression.  
"You're digging a grave?! You punks are in so big trouble!" - the cop shouted at them with an authoritary voice.  
Piper and Sam just stared back at the seargent in fear. As the twins held each other's hands, Piper slid the keys in Sam's hand, so he could discreetely hide it in his pants pocket.  
"You two shall follow me to the police station, and I guarantee you it won't be a pleasant trip!" - Ondine said as she grabbed the twins by their arms and led them in the direction of her car.  
The dog followed the group as the sergeant whistled for him. As everyone was sitting in the car, Piper whispered to her brother:  
"Sam, I'm scared..."  
"Me too, sis." - Sam replied - "But we're in this together."  
As they were holding onto each other, the dog Toby was staring at them, with a seemingly satisfyed look. (But can you really read the facial expression of a dog?)

Meantime, Fran and Noelle were chatting about a few things. The mayor's daughter was glad to hear that her friend could get a job someowhere.  
"At least now, nobody will say that I'm a scrounger." - Noelle joked.  
"Nobody thinks that anymore." - Fran replied - "Well, at least not my parents or your new employer as I can see."  
"Mr Griffin probably never believed that in the first place. But it's hard to tell, since he barely speaks."  
"How shall you two communicate at work then?" - Francesca asked with an amused grin.  
"I don't know. I'll tell you tomorrow, I guess!" - Noelle replied with a small giggle.  
Their conversation got interrupted as Noelle's phone rang. She answered the call:  
"Hello?"  
"Miss Doe. I hope you're having fun by stealing my children from me?" - Dr Gaster's voice said from the other end of the line.  
"Dr Gaster? How did you get my number?" - Noelle asked with a surprised expression.  
"Mayor Underwood gave it to me at my request." - Gaster replied - "Now, would you mind to return me __my__ children?"  
"Uh, sorry but I didn't see them since your failed apology." - Noelle replied with a frown.  
"Then where else whould they be?" - Gaster asked with an annoyed tone - "Wait, I have a second line call. Don't hang up!"  
At his house, Dr Gaster answered the second call.  
"Am I speaking to Will Dean Gaster?" - a familiar voice asked.  
"Yes..."  
Gaser immediately recognized the voice. He'd know it anywhere.  
"It's Officer Paxton. I'm calling to inform you that your children had been brought to the police station."  
"What?! What did they do?!" - the alarmed father exclaimed.  
"I believe it'll be better if we explain you when you arrive…" - the officer replied.  
"I'll be here in a few minutes."  
Dr Gaster ended their conversation and resumed his call with Noelle. He spoke to her with a cold tone.  
"I just learned Sam and Piper had been arrested."  
"A-arrested...?" - Noelle gasped - "What for?"  
"We'll know when we arrive at the police station." - Gaster answered with that same tone.  
"How so, 'we'?"  
"That means, Miss Doe, that I'm going to pick them at the police station and that you're coming with me." - Dr Gaster explained - "I want you to see the consequences of your invasion in their lives."  
Even though she hated Gaster's last remark, Noelle told him where she lived, so he'd pick her on his way to the police station. When the conversation was over, she put her head in between her hands with a long heavy sigh. Fran walked up to her, asking:  
"What's going on? Did Sam and Piper really get arrested?"  
"Apparently... But I don't know why yet." - Noelle replied - "I feel that Dr Gaster will nag me about it for a long while…"  
In a few minutes, she exited the building, where she waited for Gaster to show up. It didn't take long before he arrived in his car and he made a short sign for her to get in. As she sat next to him, Noelle said:  
"I have nothing to do with the kids' arrest."  
"You don't, yet it happened because of you."  
"No, it didn't. I have no idea where your children went after you picked them at Griffin's."  
"If you had simply left the town as I first requested, we wouldn't be here now!" - Gaster remarked.  
"I never encouraged your children into misbehaving, doctor." - Noelle replied with an irritated sigh.  
"Well, you should know that my children used to be obedient, respecting and good-behaving in general. It's when __you__ showed up that all the problems started."  
"Maybe you should consider a different perspective of your problem?" - Noelle suggested - "Why would they need to find me, if everything was okay back home?"  
"I don't see what you're getting at." - Gaster replied, his gaze focused only on the road.  
Noelle just crossed her arms and shook her head in annoyance.

Meanwhile at the police station, Sam and Piper were sitting at a desk opposite to the seargent. She was a red-haired woman with green eyes and freckles on her face. She had an athletic body shape, and she held an angry and stern expression. Her gaze on the kids was as sharp as would be a spear. Truly, she was an intimidating figure.  
"Let me summarize. Sam Gaster and Piper Gaster, two children from a respected family decided to have a little adventure at the graveyard in the middle of the night, by digging their grandmother's grave."  
"It's not night yet..." - Sam said with a little voice.  
"The sun has set, so it is NIGHT!" - Ondine shouted, making the kids tremble - "And don't speak until you're allowed to, 'cause you're in the wrong! Digging a grave is a crime! This means that if you were adults, you'd be sent to prison where you'd spend long years! I don't envy the prisoners, 'cause life in prison SUCKS! You know, even though there's no prison in our town, our police station has a detention cell! If you two were older, I'd make you stay for the night there! It's cold, the bed is hard, you have no comfy PJs... and there's always a cop watching at you from the other side of the bars! Doesn't sound like fun, does it?"  
The twins slowly shook their heads in response. Seargent Ondine pursued.  
"But now, I'm starting to think... SCREW IT! I think you're old enough to spend a night in a cell! You punks found it in you to dig your grandma's grave, so you'll bear one night here very well!"  
The twins looked at each other alarmed, their hearts pounding fast in their chests. Ondine kept going:  
"Don't worry, it's just for tonight, and the cell is big enough for two! Follow me, I'll escort you there! Your dad shall come for you in the morning, right before taking you to school! Oh, imagine now the cool story you can tell to your classmates later?!"  
Sam and Piper's faces flushed and their eyes got filled with tears, while Ondine looked at them expectingly.  
"Come on, let's get you to your cell!" - she then said with an enthousiastic tone.  
"No... I don't want to sleep here..." - Piper said with a sob, trying to whipe her tears.  
"You don't? I thought bold punks like yourselves can spend __one__ night elsewhere than in their bedroom?" - Ondine tilted her head, feigning confusion.  
"Please... We didn't mean to... we meant nothing wrong..." - Piper said trough her tears.  
"We want to go home..." - Sam said as he couldn't suppress his own sobs anymore.  
Ondine kept watching them, her arms crossed over her chest and her look still as stern. A knock on her office door got heard, so the seargent opened it, revealing Officer Paxton.  
"Seargent, the kids' father and Noelle Doe arrived." - he informed.  
"Urgh, we were in the middle of something here..!" - Ondine groaned, then said with a sigh - "Fine, let them come in."  
After a short moment, Dr Gaster and Noelle entered the seargent's office.  
"Dad! Noelle!" - Piper exclaimed with relief as more tears fell.  
"Guys..!" - Noelle said as she walked up to them - "What happened..?"  
"Now, can I know what they did to get arrested?" - Gaster asked to Ondine.  
"Zarla Gaster was your mother, am I correct?" - the seargent asked.  
"Y-yes, she was..." - Gaster said with a hint of sadness in his tone and expression.  
"Now, guess whose tomb you kids were digging."  
"... What?!" - Gaster's face paled.  
"You... you guys were digging a tomb?!" - Noelle gasped in surprise - "Why would you even…?"  
"The white dog did too!" - Sam pointed out, feeling braver now that he and his sister weren't facing Ondine alone.  
"Guys, the dog is an animal, okay?!" - Ondine exclaimed - "He'd dig anywhere, since he's a __dog__!"  
"And an annoying one, that is..." - Paxton commented quietly.  
"So, of course he'd do something dumb!" - Ondine pursued - "But you guys, you are people, you're supposed to be smart enough to understand that digging a tomb is wrong!"  
"But what were you doing outside anyway?" - Dr Gaster asked - "You were supposed to be inside!"  
"We uh... we just saw the white dog out the window, so we wanted to have fun with it." - Piper replied.  
That wasn't completely a lie.  
"Really? That's it? You saw a dog and you decided to follow him." - Gaster said with a sarcastic and unimpressed tone.  
"Well... y-yes...?" - Piper shrugged awkwardly.  
"Are you talking about that police dog?" - Noelle asked, getting a nod from Paxton in response - "Well, you cannot blame the twins for following him, he's too cute to resist to!"  
Noelle almost squealed when she pointed out the dog's cuteness. Ondine looked at her with her serious gaze and said:  
"You are NOT helping, lady!"  
"I just can't believe this..!" - Dr Gaster shook his head, then addressed to the twins directly - "I thought you two were smart children; after all __I__ raised you! But apparently, you find it fun to play dogs at the most innapropriate place! You're not two years old babies, for God's sake!"  
Sam and Piper had guilty looks at their faces. Even though they did what they did for a greater good, but they still didn't like to be reprimanded by their father. Their relationship with him was already complicated, so him being angry at them only added tension. Plus, he probably guessed what they actually were up to.  
"I'm afraid I have no choice but to punish you for your behavior." - Gaster said with a sigh - "From now on and during one month, you'll be forbidden to go anywhere that's not our house or your school. And to make sure you don't run away the days I work late, I will take you to my office in the hospital after school. You'll spend the evenings there."  
"One month?!" - Sam exclaimed.  
"But that's around four weeks!" - Piper added.  
"It'll teach you to not do things like what you did today." - Gaster replied them coldly.  
"Guys, your father's right on that one." - Noelle said with a serious tone - "I understand you can lose control when you see a cute dog, but that doesn't excuse grave digging! What you did today was very wrong, to say the least. In his shoes, I'd punish you as severely."  
The kids sighed sadly. It wasn't any less easy to be lectured by Noelle. But they guessed they had no choice but to undergo their punishement. They had a more serious matter to take care of meantime: hide the keys they found.

The next day at school during the lunch break, Sam and Piper were sitting outside, trying to figure out where they could hide the mysterious keys. They took them at school, so their father wouldn't find it while they're not at home. So, hiding the keys in their bedroom was definitely not an option. The twins tried to think of some place near the school, but there were high chances that someone else would find and take the keys, or that it would get lost. There were no other places they could think of, especially that they were forbidden to go anywhere besides the school and the hospital from now. Suddenly, someone standing on the other hide of the closed school gates caught Piper and Sam's attention. It was Sancho. The twins checked that they were safe from anyone's looks, then they approached the gate.  
"Heya, kids. Those expressions you have… something tells me you're facing a dead end of some sort?" - Sancho guessed - "But I cannot tell for sure. Face reading isn't an exact science after all."  
Sam and Piper looked at each other and decided that it was the moment to check if Sancho remembered everything.  
"Sancho... can you um, tell us what does W.D. stand for?" - Piper asked.  
"Hmm, let me see... would it by any chance be… **_**WingDings**_**?" - Sancho replied.  
"Oh my... You remember...!" - Piper exclaimed with an excited face, while Sam's eyes rounded.  
"Yeah, kids. I remember." - Sanchos confirmed, smiling widely - "I started to remember since the day your mother decided to stay for you. But it's only the night after she dined with me and my bro, that my mind put all the pieces together and that I remembered who I really was - __Sans__ the skeleton."  
"Now that you remember, what shall you do?" - Sam asked with a growing smile.  
"Will you tell Noelle?" - Piper asked with an excited expression.  
"No, Noelle's not ready for that yet." - Sancho shook his head - "But I'll work on preparing her. It's not an easy task to make someone believe in something as surreal as the 'De-Code'."  
"Last night, the dog found something for us…" - Sam said as he pulled the keys out of his pocket - "We have no place to hide it away from Dr Gaster. Can you keep it safe somewhere?"  
Sancho's eyes widened in (pleasant) surprise as he saw the keys, then took it from Sam's hand and slid it in his jacket pocket. He smiled at the kids and reassured them:  
"I'll keep the keys for now. When the time comes, I'll give it to Noelle."  
"Can you just tell us… what are those keys exactly?" - Piper asked curiously.  
"You can say it's a tool Noelle will need to save us all from the De-Code." - Sancho answered.

At night, another crime scene was being closed off by the police. Another person had been killed, and this time it was a fourteen years old girl. She had been killed in the changing room of the dance school. Seargent Ondine and Officer Paxton were looking at the body, shocked but pensive.  
"She had been killed in the same manner as the boy in the library." - Paxton remarked.  
"Yes, she received the stabs at the same areas of her body." - Ondine agreed with a slow nod.  
"But there's a strange detail..." - Paxton frowned, then knelt down to the body and removed a dried daffodil from the hands - "A flower like this one was found on the previous crime scene."  
"I remember now... That's very curious."  
"At first, we assumed that the dried flower that was lying around in the library belonged to the boy. But now, we have another victim, with the exactly same flower." - Paxton said thoughtfully - "It cannot be a coincidence."  
"It definitely isn't one." - Ondine shook her head - "The dried flowers didn't belong to the victims, but more likely to the killer. Like, it would be his 'signature' of a sort."  
"So... are we both thinking the same thing, Seargent?"  
"That's right, Paxton. We have a __serial murderer__ in the town." - Ondine said with a serious, yet worried, tone.

* * *

**A/N: Sancho remembers his true self!**  
**About Gaster's mother being called Zarla Gaster, it is merely a tribute to Zarla, the creator of the original "Handplates" story! Since she created the HP!Gaster, this sort of makes her his "mother". ^^ I know that skeletons are named after fonts, and Gaster's mother surely was too. But after the De-Code, she's registered in the town with a more "normal" name.**

**Concering Ondine, she wouldn't actually make the twins sleep in the detention cell. She was just teaching them a lesson.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Here comes another chapter! It's one of my personal favourites. ^_^ Sorry it took a while, I was just gone for a trip a couple of days ago, and at my return I was pretty tired and didn't feel like editing and updating the story. Yet, I did other more creative stuff, lol.**

* * *

At the Undertown police station, Ondine and Paxton were sitting in the seargent's office, working on the case of the Daffodil Killer (that was how they nicknamed the murderer). About a week after the second murder, another person had been killed. This time, it was a twenty years old waitress of a fancy restaurant (that also belonged to Metananda). She had been taken by surprise by the killer when she was taking the trash out behind the restaurant. With already three victims, the situation was becoming very serious. As the two cops were studying the case, Paxton remarked an interesting fact Ondine failed to notice.  
"There's a detail that caught my attention. The young waitress wasn't wearing an apron. But she was still at work, she wouldn't have just taken it off."  
"So, your guess is that the killer took it off?" - Ondine asked.  
"Yes. And the fact that her apron had been taken off made me notice something we missed while studying the two other crime scenes!" - Paxton pursued - "The boy at the library, he normally used to wear glasses. However, when he was found dead, he didn't have them, nor were those found lying around. I checked. And the girl at the dance school… in her backpack, there was her tutu, but not her ballerinas. So, what I am saying is…"  
"The Daffodil Killer takes one of his victims' belongings?" - Ondine finished for him thoughtfully - "Uh. So, not only he likes to put a signature on his crimes, but he also collects 'trophies' for them? That guy is so cliché… Anyway, that still doesn't tell us why he targeted those three persons in particular. What do they have in common?"  
Paxton sighed as he quickly browsed the files, then said:  
"I've studied the three victims' profiles, but I found no connection between them. But I won't stop looking for it..!"  
"We have to find one, Paxton." - Ondine said seriously - "Either the Daffodil Killer choses his victims according to a certain element that can lead us to him if we find it. Or, he kills people randomly, and in that case, we're screwed."  
"N-no, if he killed randomly, why doesn't he kill everyday then? He had certainly chosen his victims." - Paxton replied - "The criterion is just not obvious…"  
"It can be very little… to the point it's frustrating!" - Ondine hit her table with her knuckle - "Damn, if we're too slow to find the Daffodil Killer's criterion, there will be even more deaths! He's surely enjoying how clueless we are, while he kills innocents again and again!"  
"We will catch him, Seargent." - Paxton tried to reassure her.  
"Urg, that I know. But __when__?" - Ondine replied with a sigh - "Alright, I guess it's our patrolling time now."  
Since the sudden emergence of the serial killer, the police had to reaffirm the security of the town. Which meant that the police officers had to spend more time outside, the patrolling duration having been lengthened. Ondine and Paxton went outside, taking the dog Toby with them, and sat in the police car. As they were riding across the streets of Undertown, they were looking around attentively, while having a talk.  
"You know, Paxton, I must say you demonstrated very good observation skills in our current case." - Ondine complimented.  
"Why, thank you! After all, isn't it my job to be observant?" - the man replied to his superior.  
Ondine smiled a bit at how enthousiastically Paxton accepted the compliment. Then, she remarked:  
"Speaking of your job… I guess it would be unfair if an over-qualified person occupied the officer position."  
"Uh..? What do you mean..?" - Paxton tilted his head curiously, and as Ondine didn't say anything, it hit him - "Oh, wait..! Are you saying you'll promote me to the Investigator rank?"  
"I'm __considering__ that possibility, yes." - Ondine replied - "It'll depend on how this case is going. If you contribute to a good outcome, then I'll promote you."  
"Wowie… I... I'm so grateful to you, Seargent! I'll work my hardest for this case!" - Paxton said with a determined tone.  
"Heh. Guess you have now a solid motivation to do your job." - Ondine grinned - "The 'Investigator' title is like a trophy at the end of your marathon."  
"Seargent Ondine! I decided to become a policeman to protect society from crime, not for a title!" - Paxton remarked.  
"Of course, I'd never question your morals code." - Ondine replied as her grin fell.  
She knew that Paxton cared more for people's safety than for his dream grade. So, she felt slightly ashamed for insinuating that he'd do a better job only when a personal reward is involved. But Paxton, being his nice self, didn't really get offended. He rarely got offended by anything actually, and was naturally a forgiving person. This made Ondine think that he maybe was too good for his job.  
"The sun's setting…" - Ondine commented - "Now we must be double-attentive. Darkness is an advantage for any criminal."  
"I know… I don't get why he's doing what he's doing, though." - Paxton commented sadly - "He can't just be enjoying taking people's lives… right?"  
"Oh Paxton, there are people out there who __do__ enjoy the kill." - Ondine said seriously - "Anyway, you should focus on preventing him from causing even more pain, instead of questioning his reasons."  
"Right, Seargent…"

Meantime, Francesca finished her working day and exited the building she worked in. She started to walk in the direction of her home, taking a moment to check the time on her cellphone. It was getting late. Then all of sudden, she felt someone grab her from behind a corner and pull her into a dark alley. Fran tried to scream, but the aggressor put his hand over her mouth.  
"No, no, I can't allow you to scream." - he hissed at her - "Don't worry, in a few minutes, you'll suffer no longer."  
Francesca tried to free herself from the guy's grasp, but to no avail. She saw him take a knife, but before he could stab her, she kicked him in the stomach with her knee. It distabilized the aggressor for a few moments, just enough time to allow Francesca to alert anyone.  
"HELP!" - she yelled.  
"Oh, you just made a __huge__ mistake…" - the guy growled.

In the police car, the dog Toby suddenly raised his head and started to growl and bark. Ondine looked behind and saw that Toby was hitting the window with his paws, as if trying to open the door.  
"What is it, Toby?" - Ondine asked, before addressing to Paxton - "Paxton, stop the car. Something must be wrong."  
Paxton did as the seargent said, after what the two cops exited the car. As soon as they did, they heard a shout of pain.  
"AAAAH!"  
The two policemen rushed to the closest alley, where they saw Francesca trying to get free from her aggressor's attack. The young woman had already been stabbed once.  
"Police! Stop right there!" - Ondine shouted as she pointed her gun in the direction of the aggressor.  
Paxton did the same, as the bad guy stared back at them just for a moment. Then, he just dropped his victim and ran away. Ondine and Paxton rushed to Francesca, and the seargent exclaimed:  
"It's the Mayor's daughter...! Paxton, I'm going after the guy, you know what you must do!"  
Seargent Ondine rushed after the criminal, as Officer Paxton knelt down to Francesca. He gasped as he saw the injury - the woman's white shirt was already covered by a large stain of blood. The policeman pressed his hand against the wound, in order to slow down the bleeding, and spoke to Francesca.  
"Miss Underwood..? Do you hear me? Please, respond anyhow!"  
Francesca nodded faintly. Paxton hurried to call for the ambulance, then spoke to the injured young woman again.  
"Don't worry… Help's coming... It'll be all okay…! Just focus on my voice!"  
It took a very big effort for Fran to keep her eyes the slightest open. She knew she had to remain the slightest conscious. She had to keep going! But despite her will, the officer's voice she was hearing sounded distant now. Fran could hear some phrases, and some not really.  
"Don't pass out, stay with me…!" - Paxton kept saying - "Help's coming, you'll make it!"  
Fran's vision was blurry, everything seemed so vague and distant. She really wanted to stay awake and focused, but the pain… that sharp pain was almost unbearable. But she had no strength to scream. Paxton's voice was the only thing that kept her from just giving up. His voice… As the world around Francesca was fading away, his voice was the only thing that still felt real to her. For some unknown reason, she felt as if she heard it before. Even though she was pretty sure she never actually had. Gathering the little strength left in her body, she slowly raised her shaking hand and landed it right over Paxton's gloved one. She gave it a faint squeeze. Paxton was surprised by the unexpected contact, but this reassured him at some level. As he looked at Fran's face, he saw her lips moving. She was trying to say something, but the pain she was experiencing didn't let her use her full voice.  
"Pa... __Papyrus__…" - Francesca said weakly, her tone inaudible.  
"What was it?" - Paxton asked as he didn't hear her, lowering his head a bit closer.  
At that moment, Seargent Ondine came back, at a slower pace than when she left. Paxton looked up at her and asked:  
"So...? What about the aggressor?"  
"Hmpf... I lost him. That guy's a sneaky one!" - Ondine said with a hint of frustration, then looked down at Fran - "How is she?"  
"She's bleeding a lot… but she's still... with us." - Paxton replied.  
In less than a minute, sirens of the ambulance got heard. The doctors acted very quickly, wasting no time in doing everything that was needed to keep Fran stable. When everything was set, Paxton and Ondine boarded the ambulance, after what the car immediately started and drove away.

Meantime at the hospital, Dr Gaster and his two children had just finished dinner at the cafeteria and were walking through the corridors. The doctor's face was relatively blank, but Sam and Piper were obviously tired.  
"When do we go home?" - Piper asked.  
"Soon." - Gaster replied simply.  
"Soon as in when?" - Sam whined.  
"As in when I finish the last few errands I have." - Gaster said - "Look, if you knew how to behave, you wouldn't be here now. You made your choice, go through consequnces."  
"Says who?" - Sam whispered sarcastically to his sister.  
The kids thought it was hypocritical from their father to lecture them about going through consequences for their actions, while he erased the memories of an entire population to avoid consequences himself. The family walked to the hall, and the twins sat down on chairs while Dr Gaster discussed some business related stuff with other people. Gaster was a very busy man, and the entire hospital seemed to all rely on him. He was a renowned surgeon, despite the fact he wasn't allowed to perform surgery himself in some cases due to his condition (his once damaged hands and a blind eye). But he'd always supervise, which enforced his authority over the others. Due to his high competence and intelligence Gaster was not only surgeon, he was also at the head of the hospital laboratory. Dr Gaster's work would often keep him distant from his children. It was what had annoyed Sam and Piper about him in the first place. Gaster seemed to be in his element at his work, because he obviously was. But did the twins make him as happy as his work did? Those were the questions that invaded their minds since the day Gaster told them he had adopted them.  
Suddenly, the door of the hospital burst open and Francesca was brought in at a quick pace. The twins gasped, and Gaster's eyes widened. He rushed towards the unconscious woman and then asked to the ambulance men:  
"What happened..?"  
"The cops told she's been stabbed. She was already barely conscious when we arrived." - the ambulance man replied.  
Gaster looked behind the medical staff and saw Seargent Ondine and Officer Paxton standing there too. The two of them had looks of concern on their faces, but Paxton's one was a little more so.  
"She had been stabbed by who we believe to be the serial killer we're after." - Ondine explained - "She's lucky we were around, or she would be dead now."  
"That won't be much luck, if we don't act right now!" - Gaster exclaimed, then turned around and called for his colleague, who was talking with some nurses nearby - "Alicia!"  
"Yes, Dr Gaster?" - she asked as she walked up to him.  
"It's very urgent now! Prepare surgery room one!" - Gaster ordered - "I'll be there in a minute!"  
"Y-yes, Dr Gaster!" - Alicia replied - "B-but are you sure you c-can handle this? I mean, it's an urgent surgery, your condi-"  
"I __know__ it's urgent, so don't waste time with discussions! Now, go!"  
"Yes and sorry, D-Dr Gaster..."  
Alicia immediately took action as she took the unconscious Francesca to the surgery room and made orders to the medical staff. Dr Gaster let out a long sigh in order to compose his thoughts. He then turned to Sam and Piper, who were staring at him with worry, and instructed:  
"You two stay here until the end of the operation."  
The doctor then turned back to face the two cops, and said:  
"There's nothing you two can do here today. You should go home, or back to the police station, or whatever."  
"Will she be alright?" - Paxton asked.  
"I cannot tell right now. There are many factors, and one of them is her own will to keep going." - Gaster answered.  
Then, the doctor rushed to the surgery room, leaving the twins and the two cops alone in the hall. The kids were obviously nervous, they hoped that Francesca would be alright. Ondine and Paxton exchanged looks, then Ondine said:  
"I think we both should go home. There's nothing we can do here now."  
"But..."  
"We'll come back here tomorrow. If she makes it, we shall interrogate her about her aggressor."  
"She __will__ make it." - Paxton insisted, refusing to believe in the worst possibility.  
Ondine sighed. Her younger colleague always believed in the best to happen. She wanted to advise him to not deny the possibility of the alternative outcome, but she didn't feel like it at the moment. The evening had been stressful and she was tired.  
"Damn, I left Toby locked in the police car..." - Ondine then remembered - "I'm returning to where we left it."  
"Shall I come with you?" - Paxton asked.  
"Nah, I can drive the car back at the station and take care of the dog by myself." - Ondine replied - "You should go home and get some rest."  
The seargent then walked out of the hospital, while Paxton stood at the same spot for a few moments. When he turned to Sam and Piper, he said:  
"I shall go inform your mom about what happened."  
"Yes, she surely needs to know." - Sam agreed.  
"She's maybe working at Griffin's right now… but I'm not sure." - Piper added.  
"I'll check there and if she's not there, I'll look for her at her home." - Paxton replied.  
As the policeman exited the hospital, Sam and Piper looked at each other, feeling many different things. So much happened in one evening! Francesca had been stabbed and was in a critical situation, so the twins were obviously scared. But at the same time, Fran and Paxton met for the first time since the De-Code, which in the twins' opinion was exciting and very promising!  
"Francesca will make it, right Sam?" - Piper asked her brother - "She's always been very determined."  
"Yeah, but she forgot strong she is." - Sam said with thoughtful worry.  
"I think her identity doesn't matter, she's still the same person." - Piper replied - "So, she normally should find the strength to recover. That's what I think…"  
"Maybe you're right…" - Sam said, before asking a question on his own - "Do you think Francesca and Officer Paxton will recognize each other?"  
"I hope they will! Imagine if they remember too?" - Piper asked with an excited smile.  
At that moment, Anderson and Taylor entered the hospital with worried sick expressions. They saw the twins, so they walked up to them.  
"The hospital informed us Francesca had been wounded? Did you see her?" - Taylor asked with a panicked tone.  
"Yes, and Dad's doing surgery on her." - Piper answered.  
"Oh my God... Please, make it be all okay..." - Taylor said with a praying tone - "Please don't take her away from us..."  
"Taylor, I'm sure she'll be fine. Gaster's a good surgeon, he'll save her." - Anderson started to reassure his wife, while his own eyes reflected fear.  
The four people moved to the waiting room, where it was calmer than the main hall. Taylor crossed her hands together and laid her forehead on them, muttering something similar to a prayer. Anderson was sitting next to her, embracing her and staring into nowhere. Sam and Piper were sitting opposite them, and seeing the Underwoods so alarmed and worried made them worried too. Maybe the risk of the worst to happen was really that high? Piper suddenly grabbed her brother's hand and whispered:  
"I don't want her to die... Not like that... Not before she remembers Noelle and Paxton, and everything..."  
"I thought you were the optimistic one?" - Sam asked, half-joking, but his voice shaking a bit - "It'll all end okay… it must…"  
The twins wished someone was there to help them keep calm, because they both felt as if they would surrender to fear soon. They couldn't ask the Underwoods for comfort, because they were as much worried and scared (if not more) and were barely keeping themselves together.  
"Sam... It must end up okay, right?" - Piper asked in a whisper.  
She was usually more optimistic than Sam, but just waiting there in the silence and not knowing what was going on in the surgery room was having its impact on her nerves. Sam couldn't find anything to say to his sister. As Piper thought she'd cry in a moment, a familiar voice got heard.  
"Guys... Mr and Mrs Underwood..." - Noelle aknowledged everyone - "Officer Paxton told me what happened, so I rushed here…"  
"Noelle... It's good you came..." - Taylor said, her voice a bit shaky.  
"Kids, are you okay? You're both pale…" - Noelle asked in concern - "No, of course you're not okay. I'm not either. When Paxton told me that Francesca had been attacked and sent to the hospital, I almost dropped the plate I was carrying for a customer."  
Noelle did in fact come straight from her working place. She was wearing her waitress uniform and apron, and she hadn't even bothered to button up her coat. Not as if she could feel the cold under adrenaline anyway. She sat in between the twins, who looked up at her without saying a word.  
"How long is she having surgery?" - Noelle asked.  
"I don't know... we didn't pay attention." - Piper replied.  
"No, I guess you didn't..." - Noelle sighed - "But I'm sure Fran will be okay."  
"How do you know?" - Sam asked.  
"I just... can feel it? It's intuition I guess?" - Noelle replied - "I just see a good outcome. Sometimes, I do guess things a bit in advance, and I'm sure that I'll guess right now too."  
"When you feel or guess those things, do they turn out as you expected?" - Piper asked.  
"Yes. No matter how silly it looks, but they do."  
"Wait... So, it's as if you… __see__ things beforehand?" - Sam asked curiously with a frown.  
"You can put it that way, yes." - Noelle shrugged.  
Sam and Piper exchanged a look, and the girl mouthed a 'oh my God' to her brother. Noelle noticed that the twins were getting excited over something again. She raised an eyebrow and said:  
"You don't seem so scared anymore?"  
"Noelle, can you please buy us a drink at the vending machine?" - Sam requested with a smile.  
"Sure..."  
Noelle walked up to the machine at the corner of the room and the twins followed her. From there, Anderson and Taylor wouldn't hear what they intended to talk about. When the kids chose the drinks they wanted, Sam whispered:  
"Your ability to 'see' things is a gift."  
"I suppose."  
"No, you don't get it." - Piper said quietly - "It's an ability you inherited from your father."  
"Guys, it's just some intuition. It's not like I know everything in advance either." - Noelle sighed.  
"Your father didn't either, he could see just images too." - Sam replied - "It's true, it's an ability both he and his brother had. They don't since the De-Code, I think."  
"So, now you're saying my father and uncle used to have some weird power that I inherited? And out of pure curiousity, who do you two think they are now?" - Noelle asked as she handed a coke to Piper and a limonade to Sam.  
Sam and Piper exchanged a look, as Noelle opened her own drink and took a sip of it. Then, Piper answered honestly:  
"Your dad's Paxton, and your uncle's Sancho."  
Noelle coughed out the water she was drinking. When the coughing calmed down, she shook her head and said:  
"Guys, your theory is ridiculous. They cannot be related to me."  
"Why not? Come on, this is good news, because your parents met for the first time today." - Piper replied.  
"Oh right, you think Fran's my mother…"  
"She is, just like Paxton is your father." - Sam insisted.  
The trio sat down at the chair again. Now that they were opposite to the Underwoods, Noelle could have a break from the twins' crazy fantasies.

Meantime at the surgery room, Dr Gaster and the rest of the medical team exchanged looks of relief. They saved Francesca. She would live. There had a been a moment when they thought they'd lose her, but they didn't, the young woman made it. Gaster looked down at Francesca and thought: __"Your determination will never cease to impress me."__ He then walked out of the surgery room to meet the worried parents at the waiting room. He wasn't very surprised to see Noelle there too. As they all saw Gaster, they stood up, and Taylor asked:  
"How did it go..? How is she...?"  
"She'll be alright. Francesca will need to stay at least one week here to recover, but she'll be alright."  
"Oh, thank goodness..." - Taylor breathed out as she and her husband hugged tightly.  
Noelle let out a sigh of relief too, and the twins smiled at each other.  
"Thank you, Gaster." - Taylor then thanked the doctor.  
"You have no idea how grateful we are..." - Anderson added.  
"It was nothing." - Gaster replied - "I would never let your daughter die."  
Noelle smiled a little bit. She liked to see Gaster this way, as a man who saved a person's life.

The next morning, Francesca was confused when she woke up in a hospital room. Dr Gaster explained her what happened, which freaked Fran out a little, but her parents and Noelle calmed her down. Near midday, Ondine and Paxton entered the room, requesting to ask a few questions about the events of the previous night. Fran told the two cops how things happened, but sadly she wasn't able to describe her aggressor.  
"He was hooded and it was dark, so I couldn't see his face." - Francesca said - "I'm really sorry I cannot help you more."  
"No, it's alright. What truly matters is that you made it." - Paxton reassured her.  
"But we at least can tell that it's the murderer we're looking for. Your wound is at a spot where he usually hits." - Ondine said, then advised seriously - "I'm pretty sure that with the failed attempt, he won't try to kill you again, but still I advise to be careful for a while."  
"I will stay here for a few days anyway..." - Fran replied with a tired tone.  
"Right. I guess we won't bother you any longer." - Ondine said as she walked to the door - "Take care, Miss Underwood."  
"Go ahead, Ondine. I'll join you in a moment." - Paxton said, after what the seargent left.  
Now that Paxton and Francesca were alone, the policeman made a step towards her and leaned against the wall. Fran tilted her head, asking:  
"Is there something else you need to talk about?"  
"Well, it's silly, but... I really want to know what you were trying to tell me before you passed out."  
"I... I said something?"  
"Yes, you were saying something, but it was so quiet that I couldn't catch it." - Paxton replied - "And the reason I want to know is because I could tell by the look on your face it was something very important. What was it you wanted to tell me?"  
"Uh... I, uh don't remember." - Fran replied with a frown - "I must've been delirious at the moment, because... I really can't recall what is that I could've said."  
"Right, you were losing lots of blood after all." - Paxton pointed out.  
"I guess that if I can't recall, it wasn't really important." - Fran shrugged - "However, I remember I heard you talking to me. So, I want to thank you… for being there."  
"You're welcome! I, the great Officer Paxton, would never let anyone down! And not only because of my police duty!" - Paxton said with a proud expression.  
Francesca smiled. She liked his expression and voice. There was pride, yet not a pretentious one, but also a hint of innocence. She could tell that the officer must have a very colorful personality.  
"Anyway, I'll let you rest now, you deserve it!" - Paxton said with a smile.  
He walked towards the door, but before he left the room, he looked back at Francesca and asked:  
"If you ever remember what is that you wanted to tell me, will you tell it?"  
"Of course I will, Officer Paxton." - Francesca replied - "But I doubt I'll ever remember now."  
"It's okay any way." - Paxton said - "Good day, Miss Underwood."  
"Uh... You know, you can call me by my first name."  
"As you please! Good day, Francesca."  
Francesca liked how her name sounded coming from him. She couldn't help but smile more.  
"Have a good day too, Officer Paxton."  
With a gentle nod and a smile, Paxton left the room. Francesca couldn't erase her grin for a long moment, until she decided to have some sleep. With a contented sigh, she laid on her side and she was fast asleep. For some odd reason, despite her recent traumatic experience, she had only pleasant dreams.

* * *

**A/N: For a small moment, Francesca remembered… **

**To clarify, the killer's victims are NOT the six souls. Since the Souls disappear at the end of the True Pacifist Route, they couldn't have been De-Coded in any way. **  
**And… Noelle's parents finally met! (After being separated for twenty-two years without knowing it!)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Yay, another chapter! This time, it was very fast, huh? On a side note, some of you may know that I posted my very first Papyrisk one-shot. More of them are coming very soon! Though, most of them can be also enjoyed separately/outside the context of this story. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

Sam and Piper were playing at the school playground. They were in a better mood than they had been a couple of days ago, all because the stressful evening when Francesca has been stabbed ended up alright and also because the twins now knew for sure that Noelle had magic abilities. And since she had magic abilities, this meant she eventually could stand against Gaster. As the kids were playing, they once more saw Sancho standing on the other side of the barrier that separated the school territory from its outside. They approached the man without attracting anyone's attention.  
"Heya, kids." - Sancho said with a smile.  
"Heya, Sancho." - Sam replied.  
"Hello, Sancho." - Piper said.  
"So... I know from Pax that he met Francesca." - Sancho pointed out - "That's very good. This makes me think that time actually moved forward since Noelle stayed here."  
"Do you think Paxton and Fran could remember too?" - Piper asked.  
"They could, they could not. Memories are tricky under the De-Code effect."  
"Maybe they will if they spend more time together?" - Sam suggested.  
"That's a possibility." - Sancho said with a nod - "But you kids must be careful. 'Cause time goes on not only for good people, but for the bad ones too. With the killer around, you're safer at home."  
"We're punished for until the end of the month anyway." - Sam commented.  
"But after that... how can we look for more clues, if we stay inside?" - Piper asked.  
"In fact, there is still something you can do within the walls of your house." - Sancho replied with a smile - "I came here 'cause I have a mission for ya."  
"A mission?" - Sam asked.  
"What is it?" - Piper asked on her turn.  
"It's very likely that doc keeps all the important info related to the De-Code in his computer. Your mission is to get a copy of that info and send it to me by e-mail. Can you do that?"  
"It's very difficult..." - Piper mused - "But we'll do our best."  
"We will find a solution." - Sam said confident.  
The twins knew the assigned task was difficult. But undoing the De-Code was never supposed to be easy anyway.

Meantime at the hospital, Noelle entered the room where Francesca was resting. Fran was still weak and tired, partially due to the painkillers that were being injected.  
"Hey..." - Noelle said as she sat on a chair next to the bed - "How do you feel?"  
"Hi, Noelle." - Fran replied with a weak smile - "Not very well, it stings sometimes. But with medication, it's bearable…"  
Noelle then noticed a pretty bouquet of flowers standing in a vase on the nightstand. She tilted her head in curiousity and asked her friend:  
"Where did those come from?"  
"I got them this morning, they're from Paxton." - Francesca answered.  
"From Paxton? That's a very nice gesture." - Noelle commented.  
She then saw a card lying next to the vase. Curious, she stood from her chair, picked the card and read it.

__Miss Underwood,  
After your unfortunate experience, I, the Great Paxton, thought that you deserved a treat from me. So, I bought some flowers for you! I hope you'll like them! (But if you don't, it's still okay.) I believe I chose the prettiest ones of the shop!  
Paxton__

__PS - I'm sorry! I forgot you want me to call you 'Francesca'! Mistake forgiven?__

Noelle looked at her friend with a glimmer of mischief in her eyes. After a short moment, she teased:  
"Oooh... I think someone has a crush on you!"  
"What? No!" - Francesca felt her cheeks heat from her friend's words - "It was just a kind gesture."  
"I doubt Paxton would send flowers to every crime victim." - Noelle replied.  
"He did pay the inn bill for you, though."  
"Cannot argue against that. But I am pretty sure those flowers mean something."  
"Let's wait and see, I guess?" - Fran suggested with a smile.  
As the two friends were talking, they didn't know that Dr Gaster was in the corridor at that moment and that he heard the whole thing. The doctor frowned and after a moment, resumed his walk to wherever he was going. Gaster didn't like the fact that Paxton gifted flowers to Francesca, it worried him. __"I must be careful with those two…"__ \- he thought.

In the evening, Sam and Piper worked out a plan. Gaster always carried his laptop with him, but at night, he'd always leave it in his study. It was the twins' only chance to take a peek at the files. So, Sam and Piper decided that they would wake up at 2 a.m., a time they were (almost) sure their father slept, descend to the study to take the laptop in their room and search for relevant stuff. While elaborating the plan, Piper asked her brother:  
"But... why don't we just stay in the study to search for dad's secret files?"  
"Because our father's room is close to ours, and we must be alerted if he wakes up." - Sam answered.  
"You're right. But if he wakes up, what do we do?"  
"...I don't know. But it's still less risky than being suddenly caught by our father in the morning when he descends to the ground floor. Then we'll have no excuse."  
"Do you think it'll take __this__ long to study his files?" - Piper asked.  
"It's a possibility." - Sam replied - "We don't know when he wakes up tomorrow."  
That was why they had to do it that night, since they had no school the next day. When the twins went to bed, they programmed their alarm clock to 2 a.m. Their sleep seemed to be short as they suddenly got pulled out of it by the sound of the ringing bell. Piper hurried to turn it off, after what she and her brother stood up from their beds. As Sam took a flashlight, he whispered:  
"I'm going down take the laptop. You, watch our father."  
Piper nodded as Sam went out of his bedroom and went in the direction of the stairs on tiptoes. Piper went out of the room too and quietly sneaked a peek in Gaster's room. He was sleeping deeply, he didn't even move. This reassured the girl as she quietly closed his door. She waited in the corridor until she saw Sam finally returning with the laptop in his hands. The twins went back inside their bedroom, Piper sat on Sam's bed and turned on the computer, while Sam stood near the ajar door to have a good hear if Gaster was still asleep or if he was waking up. As the computer loaded, Piper suddenly exclaimed:  
"Oh my God...!"  
"What? What is it?" - Sam asked as he rushed to his sisiter's side.  
"The wallpaper is a photo of us taken the last Christmas!" - Piper said.  
"Piper, I thought you found something important…" - Sam sighed.  
"But don't you think it's cute?" - Piper asked.  
"...Fine, it is __a little__ cute." - Sam admitted - "Alright, now we must look for files."  
The two opened the window with the files and they saw there were many of them. Most of them were related to Gaster's work, so the twins wouldn't find anything within those. As they rolled down the window, one file suddenly caught their attention. It was simply named 'G'. Sam double-clicked on it to open it, but a password was required.  
"Bingo, that's our file." - Sam whispered with a smile - "Now, we must guess the password. Any ideas?"  
"Hmm… Let's try 'de-code'?" - Piper suggested.  
Sam tried, but the password was incorrect.  
"Would be too easy." - Sam commented.  
"We had to try to be sure." - Piper replied - "How about '1s2p'?"  
Sam tryped the suggestion, but that wasn't it either.  
"Other ideas?" - Sam asked.  
"Maybe 'core'? In caps?" - Piper suggested.  
Once more, it wasn't the correct password, even when tried in lowercase. Sam looked at his sister, expecting more suggestions. Luckily, she had several ideas in mind they could still try. She said:  
"Try '17'."  
"Incorrect." - Sam replied after trying.  
"Then try 'seventeen' in letters." - Piper suggested.  
"Not that either." - Sam shook his head - "Other ideas?"  
"Let's now try the names of the people he cares about."  
And so, the kids tried every possibility they could think of. They tried first the most obvious ones, like 'asgore', 'toriel', 'alphys', 'sans&papyrus', but every time the system was denying access, so the kids tried out of despair 'asriel' __and even__ 'chara'. They tried many names and nouns (like 'soul', 'exp', 'love', 'handplates'), but all their guesses were false.  
"I'm running out of ideas…" - Piper moaned in annoyance - "Try 'skeleton', maybe?"  
"Okay, s-k-e-l-e-t-o-n..." - Sam was saying each letter as he was typing - "No, that's not it. Do you have other ideas?"  
"Why don't __you__ try to think, Sam?" - Piper sighed.  
"Because that's your task, Piper. I'm busy typing." - Sam replied.  
"Ugh... I really have no idea what else it could-... wait."  
Piper stood from Sam's bed, took the 'Hanplates' comic book and started to browse it. It took longer than she wanted due to the darkness (their only source of light being the laptop screen), but she eventually found what she was looking for.  
"Here. Dad's stats are 36 of attack and 36 of defense." - Piper said - "Try '3636'."  
"Alright… I hope this time it's the correct one…" - Sam said as he typed the numbers - "Yes... It's the correct password…!"  
"Shh. Okay, what's in the file?"  
The kids were very glad that they finally found the correct password, and also kinda excited. Looking into the file, they noticed that it had been a while since the file had been modified. There were mainly text documents, labelled as being entries.  
"Sam, do you think this is like a journal?"  
"There's only one way to find out."  
Sam then double-clicked on the most ancient text document and when it opened, he and Piper started to read.  
__  
Entry n° 1__

__I did it. It worked. The De-Code happened how planned. I woke up in my new house in the morning, like it's always supposed to happen in this new life. I'm not sure how long passed between the moment our world got consumed by darkness and the moment I woke up in this new world, but it doesn't really matter. What matters is that neither I nor anyone else seem to experience any nocive after-effects. Everything worked perfectly, which isn't a big surprise. I did, after all, work long months on the De-Code. I must admit that I was slightly stunned to see my new body in the mirror. Thanksfully, I can still recognize my old self on that new face. My right eye is still blind, but a lens can at least council the blank iris. It felt strange to touch hair on my head. It's relatively soft. All of the new things this body has feels strange actually. I never thought that I'd come to (willingly!) take the form of a ____human____ someday. But it's a price I'm willing to pay, if it permits me to leave my past behind. It'll take a while to get used to the new looks, though. Anyway, when I came out of my house to go to my work, I was greeted by a rainy weather. It felt so nice… I was walking across the streets of Undertown, and for the first time in a long time, I was greeted and pleasantly aknowledged by other people. No more judgemental stares and whispers in my back. I can go out freely. I am free. I never thought I'd be able to say those words one day. On my way to the hospital, I came across Papyrus, or I should say Paxton, since it's his name now. He greeted me with his usual enthousiasm. Nothing could ever take this from him, I guess. At my work, I had a good day with Alicia on my side. It was a long time since she and I hadn't been like that, it felt the same as before she discovered about my illegal experiments. But it's all in the past now. No more thinking about that. I shall live and enjoy that new life I worked so hard to get. This only confirms my earlier hypothesis: second chances are never gifted.__

"That's interesting." - Sam said - "We should send this to Sancho, because here we have the proof that we were right, that the De-Code __is__ real. This is basically our father's confession. If we get Noelle to read this, she'll have to believe."  
"I totally agree." - Piper said as she handed Sam an USB drive so he could copy the document - "What else there is in that file?"  
"Most of them are entries too. Should we read them?"  
"We don't have time to read them all." - Piper protested.  
"Alright, alright. What else do we have there… Oh, there's a different type of document." - Sam said as he opened it.  
It were in fact scans of what had once been on paper. There was text, but the terms were so technical and science-y that the kids weren't able to understand much of it. But there was also a tracing plan of something that looked like the inside of a building. There were many notes on the side with details.  
"What do you think it is?" - Piper asked.  
"Beats me... But I'm sure Sancho will be able to understand this." - Sam said - "It looks like some very important stuff."  
He copied the document on the USB drive. Then, after browsing through the file, finding nothing that could interest them, they closed the window and turned off the computer.  
"Okay, while I keep an eye on our father, you go put the laptop back on the desk." - Sam instructed.  
"What? Why me?" - Piper asked.  
"Because I went down to take it, so now you go put it back. It's only fair."  
"Fine... Okay, where's the flashlight?"  
Sam handed her the flashlight and Piper proceeded to carefully go down the stairs. Sam was standing next to their ajar door, always on his guard. Each moment seemed so long to him and he hoped Piper would be done quickly. Suddenly, he heard a half-gasp, half-scream from Gaster's room. This meant he just had a nightmare. Sam listened attentively, hoping that his father would just try to fall asleep again. But unfortunately, the boy then heard Gaster walk in his room, then open the door of his bedroom. Sam hid behind his own door as his heartbeat rate quickened. Gaster was going downstairs. __"Oh gosh, oh gosh…!"__ \- he was mentally screaming - __"If he sees Piper, we're toasted..! What can I do? What can I do?!"  
__At that same time, Piper had just put the laptop down on the desk in her father's study. She was about to exit the room as she heard steps going downstairs. Piper gasped as she understood it was Gaster. She sneaked a peek from the study to see where Gaster would go. She prayed that he would go to the kitchen, which was the opposite to the study. If he went to the kitchen, Piper would have a chance to sneak out of the study and run up the stairs. But Gaster looked in the direction of… the study. Piper hid in the darkness in between the door and a shelf (where she, if lucky, wouldn't be seen when the door opens), trying to control her nervous breathing. She heard him approach and she closed her eyes in fear, as suddenly…  
"Dad? Is that you down there?" - Sam asked from the middle of the stairs.  
"Sam, what are you doing up at almost 3 a.m.?" - Gaster asked with an annoyed sigh.  
"Heard you scream." - Sam replied.  
Gaster waked away from the study door - to Piper's relief - and closer to his son. After a moment, Gaster said with a calm but tired voice:  
"I had a nightmare. So, I thought I'd distract myself by doing some work or else."  
"But you say it's unhealthy to work at night?"  
"Yes, but… Ugh fine, I guess you have a point." - Gaster admitted reluctantly and after a short pause, he decided - "I'll just go drink some water, and then try to fall sleep again instead."  
Gaster went to the kitchen and Sam followed him. Gaster raised an eyebrow and asked:  
"Why don't you go back to bed?"  
"I want some water. I had a nightmare of a sorts too." - Sam lied.  
"I wonder what can __your__ nightmares be about." - the doctor commented.  
"And yours?" - Sam asked.  
"It's my mind, so I'm not telling."  
"Not telling either then."  
"Only fair."  
As the two were talking, Piper used the moment when Gaster wasn't looking in her direction to go up the stairs. Once on the first floor, she rushed to her bedroom and straight to her bed. As she covered herself with her blanket, she let out a long sigh of relief while her body relaxed after the stress she just experienced. __"No more night snooping…"__ \- she thought.

When Monday came, they saw Sancho again at the same spot. He greeted them with a satisfied smile. The twins asked if he found in what they sent him what he needed, to which Sancho gave a positive answer.  
"The plan you sent me, I know where it's located. You know, the De-Code didn't only bring the poeple here, but things too. You must know what's the thing Gaster cared the most about."  
"The CORE?" - Piper guessed.  
"CORE-ect." - Sancho replied with a grin, obviously proud of his pun.  
Sam scoffed a little, while Piper facepalmed. Sancho pursued:  
"The CORE was brought here too, and just like me, my brother and the others, it changed its form. It's the power station of Undertown."  
"Oh, so there's something important in the power station?" - Sam asked.  
"Yes. You see, the plan corresponds to a floor of the powerhouse in shape, but not in content. So, I figured out that… there's a secret floor in the power station nobody knows about."  
"What? But how? Doesn't anyone go there?" - Sam asked.  
"My guess is that the powerhouse workers have no access to that floor." - Sancho replied - "It's concealed, so there must be a secret entrance to it."  
"Wow, that's cool..!" - Piper exclaimed - "But what's on that floor?"  
"What's the secret our father keeps in there?" - Sam asked on his turn.  
"Kids, on that floor, Gaster keeps all the equipment from his old lab." - Sancho answered with a smile - "It's the same one he used for the De-Code. In other words, it's the way back to our world."

* * *

**A/N: You should revise your password, Gaster… **

**Not that much happens in this chapter, but the idea of Sam and Piper trying different passwords to break into their father's files is too cool to not write about! ^^ Though, you still have an important (half-)revelation at the end and some more interesting events shall happen from here! **


	11. Chapter 11

**Hello, guys! Another chapter after a short time? Of course, things are progressively getting more interesting! :D Read and enjoy!**

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Dr Gaster was busy working in his office at the hospital, or at least it seemed that he was. Even though his eyes were locked on his computer screen, his mind was elsewhere. Too much worries were eating him up lately. One of his concerns was whether his children did find or not the keys he hid at his mother's tomb. Gaster did return to the grave the next morning only to see that the graveyard worker had already filled the hole in the ground back. So, the doctor had no way to see if the kids found the keys. Gaster had also snooped through their room once, while they were at school, but he didn't find the keys there. Asking them directly was pointless, since they wouldn't tell him. So, he somewhat hoped that the kids just found nothing. But he knew he shouldn't be optimistic on the matter, so the thought about the keys kept stressing him out. Gaster's other worry was that Sam and Piper, even though they were now kept on a short leash so to speak, were like far away from him. An invisible distance was being created between him and his children, and he hated it. __"It's all Miss Doe's fault."__ \- he thought. To him, Noelle was to blame for breaking the contact he had with the twins.  
"Dad? Are you done soon?" - Sam suddenly pulled him out of his thoughts - "It's getting dark."  
Gaster blinked once as his mind returned to reality. He looked up at his kids, who were done with their homework and were waiting for him to finish so they could go back home.  
"Just a minute." - he said to his kids as he resumed typing on his keyboard.  
"Pff... His needs always prevail ours." - Sam grumbled to his sister.  
"I heard that, Sam." - Gaster said with his clinical tone - "Work has to be done."  
"Spending hours here just sucks…!" - Sam exclaimed with an exhausted sigh.  
"We're not having that conversation again. Your punishment was set for one month and I'm not changing my mind about it."  
"It's not just the punishment, Dad…" - Piper sighed sadly.  
"Then what is it about?" - Gaster asked curiously.  
"After what we did at the graveyard… do you hate us?" - Piper asked - "You don't love us anymore?"  
"Wha-?" - Gaster gasped, shocked to hear such a question - "What makes you believe such nonsense?! I... I would never hate you! __Never.__ Punishment is part of education, it has nothing to do with any personal feelings."  
"If you don't hate us, you'd still punish us even if it causes us pain?" - Sam asked on his turn.  
"I- My punishment doesn't cause you pain. You're just forbidden to spend time outside our house or my workplace. You surely can bear that, can't you?"  
"You don't get it, it's not about going outside." - Sam replied.  
"We miss Noelle." - Piper said honestly - "__A lot.__ Since you punished us, we don't see her."  
"You did see her when I was operating Francesca." - Gaster pointed out, avoiding his daughter's gaze.  
"That wasn't the same, we were all too scared for Fran!" - Piper protested.  
Dr Gaster didn't know what to say. There it was again - that growing distance.  
"I should remind you that Miss Doe gave you for a secret adoption." - Gaster said with his serious tone and stoic expression - "This means you were not supposed to know about her in the first place, as much as she wans't supposed to know about you."  
"But now we know each other, so-" - Piper started.  
"I haven't finished yet." - Gaster cut her off - "Miss Doe stayed here while I didn't allow her to. She decided to play her little game to see who of us two was more stubborn. In fact, she might be doing that just to __win__ the game, __not__ because she cares about you."  
"But she does care!" - Piper protested - "She does! If she didn't, she would've left the first day!"  
"Don't rise your voice at me." - Gaster said firmly but without yelling back - "If she really cared, she wouldn't have abandoned you nine years ago."  
"But if she didn't keep us, it was because she wanted for us a better life…" - Piper replied.  
"She chose what was better for us, not for herself." - Sam added.  
"But her choice was done long ago. Miss Doe chose to give you up and she's not above consequences."  
"Or you're just scared that we'll leave you for her." - Sam suggested with a daring tone.  
"I don't see what you're talking about." - Gaster replied, but without really looking in his son's eyes.  
"That's what I thought…" - Sam said as he could see through his father - "Your needs prevail ours."

The next day in the afternoon, Francesca was sitting in her hospital bed and reading a book to deal with her boredom. She was interrupted as she heard gentle steps entering the room. Fran looked up and was pleasantly surprised to see that it was Paxton.  
"Oh, hello Officer Paxton." - she said with a little smile - "What brings you here?"  
"I just wanted to check how you were doing. Are you recovering well?" - Paxton asked.  
"I guess I am… It still stings sometimes, especially when I try to stand up." - Francesca answered - "But it's not something I can't bear."  
"That's good. Not in the sense 'it's good that it stings'! No, that would be horrible to say that! I meant it as in 'it's good that you're doing better than before'! That's what I meant."  
Fran couldn't help but giggle slightly at Paxton's rant. He was an amusing guy.  
"Don't worry, I got what you meant." - Fran reassured him to ease his what seemed to be nervousness.  
"That's a relief… I don't want you to doubt my greatness!" - Paxton said with a wide smile, gaining back his pride and confidence.  
"No, I never would." - Fran replied, then remembered something - "Oh, and… thank you for the flowers."  
"You're very welcome!" - Paxton said as he sat on the chair next to Fran's bed - "I couldn't know what were your favourite flowers, so I picked those that I judged to be visually the prettiest."  
"You picked well."  
Fran then noticed something in Paxton's jacket pocket. It was a small book with puzzles.  
"You like puzzles?" - Fran asked.  
Paxton saw that Francesca noticed the book in his pocket, so he pulled it out before answering.  
"I love them!" - he said - "I just bought this book at the shop on the first floor. I thought that if I found you asleep, I'd just do some jumbles until you wake up!"  
"You'd really wait until I awake?" - Francesca asked curiously - "You know it's kind of… weird to watch people sleep?"  
"I... I didn't mean it that way! It's just because I have a break before my evening shedule today and it was my only chance to come visit you…"  
"I was kidding, Paxton." - Fran said with a growing smile.  
"...oh. But..! You should know it isn't a good idea to tease a policeman!" - Paxton crossed his arms over his chest, faking offense.  
"I'll keep this in mind. Anyway, you were saying you love jumbles?"  
"Yes, those are my favourite puzzles! It's very entertaining and trains you to be visually attentive!" - Paxton answered - "But my brother doesn't share my opinion. Sancho believes crosswords are better, because they're 'harder'. I can't disagree more, because jumbles are easily the hardest! We often had that argument and neither time we could come to a real conclusion."  
"Everyone has their own tastes I suppose." - Fran shrugged.  
"But what do __you__ think?" - Paxton asked curiously - "Can you solve this dispute? That way, I'll know who of us two is right!"  
"Nobody's right or wrong, it's a matter of taste."  
"But I still want to know what you think. So, jumbles or crosswords?"  
Paxton was looking at her with an excpecting expression and shining eyes. Fran wondered what she could answer. She liked both crosswords and jumbles. Crosswords were in a way harder, but Paxton also had a good point about jumbles - those were good to develop observation skills. After a moment of thinking, Fran decided to answer…  
"I honestly like both. But if I have to pick just one, then… I say jumbles." - she said with a smile.  
"You really think so?" - Paxton asked as his smile widened - "You must be very intelligent if you think jumbles are diffi-"  
Then he cut himself at the mid-sentense and frowned a little. Francesca was intrigued by the sudden change of expression, so she asked if he was okay.  
"It's just that… I feel like we've done that before." - Paxton said thoughtfully.  
"Done what before?"  
"When I asked you to chose between jumbles and crosswords, and then when you answered 'jumbles', I... I felt like this situation happened before."  
"Like a 'dejà vu' feeling?" - Fran asked.  
"Yes, something like that." - Paxton answered.  
"I know, it feels so weird when it happens."  
"Yeah, weird. But anyway, I'm glad you agree with me about jumbles!" - Paxton's enthousiasm returned - "Those aren't the only puzzles I love though. I love playing with the Rubik's Cube sometimes. Trying new patterns is a challenging exercise."  
"Patterns? No way. You cannot actually solve the cube __and__ make a pattern!" - Francesca said in disbelief.  
"I managed to solve the cube, along with having an 'X' on each side!" - Paxton assured - "Are you saying you think it's beyond someone as great as me?"  
"Oh, but I would never doubt your greatness." - Fran flattered him playfully - "It's just very… mind-blowing. I mean, I can't even solve more than two sides at once, haha."  
"So, you do believe I can do that?" - Paxton asked, getting a nod in response - "I'm pleased to hear this! But I still shall erase any shadows of doubt you may have, and this by bringing my cube the next time!"  
'Next time'... It was so nice to hear Paxton say those words, that Francesca smiled again.  
"I'm looking forward to it..." - Francesca said softly, then hurried to add - "To see the cube, I mean."  
She then felt slightly embarrassed that the words 'next time' had an effect on her. But she was relieved to see that Paxton didn't seem to catch what she was actually looking forward to. Paxton was a pleasant guy to talk with.

Meanwhile, as Noelle was serving customers at "Griffin's", she felt her cellphone vibrate. It was a call from Taylor. When Noelle served the table, she hurried to hide behind a quieter corner to answer the call.  
"Mrs Underwood? I'm sorry, but will this take long? I'm at work right now." - Noelle said politely.  
"Don't worry, my child. I'll be short." - Taylor answered - "There's just something I must talk you about in my class, after the school day ends. It's about Sam and Piper."  
"Did they do something again?" - Noelle asked worried.  
"No, no. They didn't. It's just something that concerns me." - Taylor said - "Can you come to my class at 5 p.m.?"  
"Yes, since my today's shedule's from the morning to mid-afternoon. I'll be there."  
"That's wonderful. I'll see you later, Noelle."  
"See you later, Mrs Underwood."  
As Noelle ended the call and put her phone back in her pocket, she saw Mr Griffin give her a look from the kitchen. Noelle shrugged awkwardly and said:  
"I'm sorry, I'll turn off the phone next time. But it was an important call about the twins, I couldn't ignore it."  
Mr Griffin didn't say anything, but he nodded slightly with a look on his face that could be associated with understanding. He didn't seem to be mad at his worker for the "distraction". Noelle had noted that Mr Griffin was far nicer than the previous employers she had. Mr Griffin would never yell at his workers, but still managed to be respected. But it was sometimes annoying that she had to guess what was on his mind, since Griffin rarely spoke it out.  
"Okay, I'm returning to my task." - Noelle said.  
As she returned to the dining hall, she wondered what was that about the twins Taylor wanted to talk about.

At 5 p.m., after leaving Sam and Piper at home (and without failing to lock the door), Dr Gaster arrived at the school. He had been called by Taylor a couple of hours ago; the teacher said that there was an important issue about his children she wanted to talk about with him. The doctor couldn't help but ask himself what the kids put themselves into. As Gaster reached the class, he was immediately greeted by Taylor.  
"Greetings, Gaster. Did you have a good day?" - the teacher asked.  
"I did, until I got your call, I guess." - Gaster answered with a tired sigh.  
"I'm sorry I ruined your mood." - Taylor apologized - "But it's something I thought it was very important to discuss."  
As Gaster entered the class, he froze for a few seconds when he saw that Noelle was sitting opposite to the teacher's desk. Noelle turned around and after a short moment, she said:  
"Good evening, Dr Gaster."  
"What is __she__ doing here?" - Gaster asked to Taylor coldly, ignoring Noelle's greeting.  
"I called her too, to talk with her about the same matter." - Taylor answered as she sat at her desk.  
"Why? Sam and Piper are __my__ children."  
"I'm not arguing that point. But I think the matter concerns both of you."  
Dr Gaster then wordlessly sat on a chair next to Noelle. Gaster avoided to look at the young woman while on the other hand, Noelle looked at him expectingly. Taylor then spoke again:  
"Well, if I asked you both to come here, it's because I was interpellated, to say the least, by Sam's recent homework."  
"What's wrong with it? He didn't reach the expectations?" - Gaster asked.  
"No, Sam did pretty well. All the requirements were fulfilled, his grammar and spelling are rather good, and he demonstrated a creativity, just like his sister." - Taylor reassured the father - "Sam's homework concerns me on a more… personal level."  
"What was that homework about?" - Noelle asked on her turn.  
"I tasked my children to reimagine a classic fairytale, to give it a more modern dimension." - Taylor replied as she pulled out of a file Sam's homework - "Sam chose to revisit 'Hanzel and Gretel'. I... I think it'll be better if I read it out loud for you."  
"I'm listening." - Dr Gaster said.  
"Once upon a time lived a young mother." - Taylor started to read - "And she had two children, a boy named Hanzel and a girl named Gretel. The mother loved her children very much. But sadly, the little family was too poor and it was difficult for the mother to feed her two children. The family didn't even have a house, the mother and her children travelled from place to place in their car. But the mother knew it was a wrong life for her son and her daughter, she wanted them to have a big house with beds and food. One day, she decided she should leave her children. When Hanzel and Gretel went to sleep, their mother wrote down a note, telling she was sorry and she wanted them to just walk forward until they arrive to a city and find a nice home. The mother drove away in her car, leaving the sleeping children."  
"I have a feeling it's about you, Miss Doe." - Gaser commented.  
"Yes, I think the beginning of the story reflects Sam and Piper's earliest life, along with an understanding to why their mother acted the way she did." - Taylor said - "The children seem to realize that you, Noelle, did this for their best interest. Is that a correct guess?"  
"...Yes. I think they got it right." - Noelle nodded - "I just wanted my-... err, __Dr Gaster's__ children to have the best chance."  
"Both Sam and Piper displayed an admirable maturity regarding that matter. But that's only the beginning of the story, and I'm more concerned about what comes later." - Taylor said, then resumed the reading - "When Hanzel and Gretel woke up, they were scared and confused. They saw their mother's note and cried at first, but then started to walk and search for a house to live in. On their way, they didn't notice a big hole in the ground and they fell in. They landed in a high-tech house, with many computers and other science stuff. Hanzel and Gretel wondered: who lives there? They walked around, asked out loud if someone was there. Then, a man wearing a white labcoat showed up."  
"Oh gods... It's about me, right?" - Gaster groaned in annoyance.  
"I'm afraid it is. Can I pursue?" - Taylor asked and she got a nod from Gaster, she pursued - "The man revealed them that he lived in his lab-house alone for years and that he wanted company. So, he welcomed the children with open arms. The three spent a nice day together. Hanzel and Gretel quickly liked the science man, and the man seemed to like them in return. But… living as a nice family wasn't part of the scientist's plan. The next day, the two children woke up to find themselves locked in their room, so they called for the scientist to show up. The man revealed his real appearance and showed his true colors. He wasn't even a man, he was a living skeleton. And he wasn't good, the children didn't fall in his house by accident. He set up a trap to catch someone, he wanted to study humans. He wanted to know how the humans work and how much they can bear. The skeleton gained the children's trust so he could easily lock them in."  
Gaster felt has if all blood was drained from his face. He squeezed with one hand his other hand, but the rest of his body didn't move. He knew where this story was going and it made him, to say the least, __very__ uncomfortable. Taylor kept reading:  
"From that day, the children suffered a lot. Everyday, the skeleton put them through different experiments. Everyday, Hanzel and Gretel suffered, cried, begged for the scientist skeleton to stop. But the skeleton never stopped. He hurt them because of his scientific curiousity. Gretel often asked the skeleton why he treated them that way but never got answers. She even once told him how she thought he'd be her dad and that she'd love that, but the skeleton only got madder. Hanzel couldn't bear it all anymore and decided he had to save his sister and himself from the life of fear and pain. The skeleton's house was built above magma, because it was deep underground. One day, when the three were walking on a bridge from the bedroom to the lab, Hanzel used one moment of distraction to violently push the skeleton from the bridge. He took Gretel's hand and the two ran away, as the skeleton burned in the magma to death. The children found their way out and took along some science stuff from the lab. When the kids found a city, they sold all the science things for lots of money. Hanzel and Gretel found their mother a few days later. With all the money they had, they bought a nice big house they always wanted and the little family could finally lived happily ever after."  
A moment of silence followed. Gaster felt as if he needed more air. The story had reminded him of everything he worked so hard to leave behind. But he knew he couldn't have a panic attack in front of Taylor and especially not in front of Noelle.  
"So... that story says my son wants me dead?" - Gaster asked, trying his best to keep his breathing steady.  
"No. Stories written by children musn't be taken literally." - Taylor answered - "It's just a way for them to communicate what's in their psyche. I see in this story Sam's view of the situation and what he believes to be the best solution to the problem. He thinks that you adopted him and his sister for a purely selfish need, and that your family problem can be solved by removing you from the picture."  
As Taylor kept speaking, Dr Gaster could progressively calm down his breathing.  
"But... he cannot __actually__ be thinking that about his father, right?" - Noelle asked.  
"Surprised, Miss Doe? I thought you'd be overhelmed by joy right now." - Gaster commented with sarcasm.  
Now that Gaster could derive the conversation in a more comfortable for him direction, his breathing got completely steady again.  
"What..? No! How can you even assume something like this!" - Noelle exclaimed, shocked and offended - "Far from me to want tear your family apart!"  
"If that's not your goal, then why are you still in Undertown?" - Gaster asked, his tone calm as usual - "You cannot claim you stayed out of altruism because you knew leaving them alone was the best solution. So, selfishness is the only explanation."  
"It's the only explanation __you__ see." - Noelle replied as she crossed her arms.  
"Gaster, Noelle, that's the reason why I wanted to see you both." - Taylor said with a sigh - "I think you two should learn to get along. I know, Sam and Piper weren't supposed to know who their mother was, but it happened they do. So, I believe the best way to restore some harmony in their family life would be for both their parents to be in good terms. As for Sam, he'll understand that it's not necessary to chose just one of you, that he can have you both in his life."  
"Miss Doe is not a parent." - Gaster reminded - "So, don't call her that."  
"Why do you have to act this way towards me?" - Noelle asked - "I never had bad intentions towards you. But you… you always pour oil into fire!"  
"I'm just telling the truth. You probably know that only the truth can actually hurt." - Gaster remarked.  
Taylor saw that the situation was slightly getting out of control, but she didn't dare to interfare. In her (idealistic) opinion, the two should be honest and speak up what was bothering their both. Of course, if Taylor saw that they went too far, she would cut them off. Noelle didn't immediately answer to Gaster's remark. But after a moment, she spoke:  
"You know what? You're right, the truth does hurt. Because I'm not Sam and Piper's parent, I gave them up. So, you see me as a monster, because that's not what true mothers do. But you're neglecting an important part of the whole story, Dr Gaster, and it's the fact that I gave birth to them."  
"Giving birth doesn't make you a-" - Gaster started, but Noelle cut him off.  
"No. You're right but wrong at the same time." - Noelle said - "It's true, I made my choice and so, in the eyes of law, I'm a perfect stranger to them. But I also made another choice, the one to __give birth__ to them. I gave them __life__. I could've chosen abortion, but I did not. Because I knew I had no right to take away from them the chance to live before they were even born. And so, I carried them. Those were the most difficult nine months of my entire life."  
Noelle paused for a moment, in order to keep her composure in front of Dr Gaster. She pursued:  
"It's not about the physical inconveniences any pregnancy implies. I'm talking about what I went through emotionally. I had to go through a heartbreak because the kids' father was a jerk, I went through shame at school, and..."  
Noelle paused again. She spoke up before Taylor had the chance to suggest her to not talk about it if she didn't want to.  
"It was a torture to go on checkups and see the two phoetuses on the monitor. Because I felt my soul warm up at the sight every single time. Because I knew I couldn't permit myself to grow attached to the babies considering that the plan was to give them for adoption. When the moment came, I... my only request was that the twins get adopted together. The adoption agency couldn't guarantee me anything, but I just wished them to at least have each other, so they wouldn't grow up alone like I had to. And that they wouldn't end up like their mother...!"  
Noelle was done, she said what she needed to say. But as she got it off of her chest, she felt upset - her vent made her in a way to live her past over again - and embarrassed. With a small sigh, Noelle stood up from the chair and said:  
"I... I have some errands to attend. I shall go now."  
"What?" - Taylor asked - "But we must try to find a solution..."  
"I really must go." - Noelle replied - "As for a solution… we cannot find one if Dr Gaster doesn't try to understand my position."  
Noelle said the last phrase giving a quick side-look at Gaster. But her look didn't reflect anger; it was just sadness. With those words, Noelle left the classroom. When the echoes of her steps in the corridor faded, Taylor looked at Gaster with a certain disappointement, to which Gaster reacted.  
"Stop looking at me like that. I said nothing wrong."  
"You did upset her with your attitude, Gaster." - Taylor stated - "Before she left, I could swear she was on edge of tears."  
"She was? Well, it's not my fault she's weepy." - Gaster said with his usual distant and unfazed tone and expression.  
Taylor only shook her head in disapproval while looking at him. The doctor had to admit that Taylor's gaze did make him feel uncomfortable.

The next day in the morning, Noelle heard the doorbell ring as she was drinking tea in the kitchen. She walked to the door, she was surprised to see that it was Dr Gaster… with Sam and Piper. The man's expression was still stoic when he spoke.  
"I'll let you see Sam and Piper for three hours." - he said - "In three hours, I expect you to bring them to my house and I won't tolerate any delay, would it be of a few seconds."  
"You'll actually count seconds?" - Noelle asked as her eyebrows lifted.  
"Honestly…! You know what I mean, Miss Doe!" - Dr Gaster almost facepalmed as he exhaled in annoyance.  
"I was just checking." - Noelle said with a shrug - "But where does that generous act come from?"  
"I'm not doing that for you." - Gaster quickly stated - "My children and Taylor think that I make my own interests prevail the interests of my children. I'm proving them wrong."  
"But then, you're doing it for yourself again..." - Noelle remarked.  
"****Three hours****, Miss Doe." - Gaster shut her up - "Don't waste your precious time with pointless talks."  
With those words, Dr Gaster left Noelle, Sam and Piper alone. As Noelle closed the door of the apartement, the twins hugged her tightly, which took her by surprise. Noelle wasn't sure how to respond, so she put her hands awkwardly over the kids' shoulders, but couldn't find anything to say.  
"We're glad to see you." - Sam said.  
"We missed you so much." - Piper added.  
"C-come on guys... It hasn't been __that__ long, you know..." - Noelle replied with a nervous chuckle.  
The twins released their grip around Noelle and smiled at her. As the three went to the kitchen, the kids said that there were many things they needed to to tell her about.  
"We told you who your parents are." - Piper stated - "But we didn't tell you everything about them."  
"It's time you know more about your origins." - Sam pursued - "So much happened, and if you have to save us all, there's a catch-up you must do!"  
Noelle shook her head, not much in annoyance but rather in amusement. __"Here we go again..."__ \- she thought. She was in for another trip to the twins' fantasy world. But it was definitely worth the time spent with them.

* * *

**A/N: Even in the youngest authors' stories, Gaster screws up. Piper would've written a much better ending, though. **

**About the speech Noelle gave to Gaster… I had something similar in mind back when I was writing the pilot chapter, but then it wouldn't be natural to put it there. Here, the moment was more appropriate.**  
**Sam rewriting "Hanzel and Gretel" in the "Handplates" style was just another silly thought I once had and couldn't get rid off, but then I decided that it could be an occasion for Taylor to interact with Gaster and Noelle in order to discuss the family problems. Of course, Gaster never fell in the void in this story, but it's just a reference to the original and true timeline. **

**I promise that from the next chapter, much more serious stuff will happen!**


	12. Chapter 12

**What? ANOTHER chapter that soon? Well, I'm kinda in the mood and I take advantage of the last days of holidays to post stuff, because soon I won't have that much time for this. Enjoy!**

* * *

Noelle, Sam and Piper were sitting in the kitchen, having hot drinks. Noelle was finishing the tea she made herself before Gaster brought the kids at her house, while Sam and Piper were drinking cocoa. The kids, while enjoying their drinks, told Noelle the story of her father and uncle, the skeletons Sans and Papyrus. Noelle was very surprised and slightly concerned about what the twins were telling her. But she also understood where Sam's idea of a revisited "Hanzel and Gretel" came from.  
"So, let me resume." - she said as she put her empty mug into the sink - "Paxton and Sancho used to be skeletons in another life, they're Gaster's sons, who created them by cutting holes in his hands and ripping off pieces of his soul. Dr Gaster, instead of treating them as his children, tortured and experimented on the two in his lab, his purpose being to create weapons to destroy the barrier that kept monsters trapped underground. Wow… I've never heard a so disturbing story in my entire life."  
"That's why he De-Coded everyone here, to make them all forget about his sins." - Sam explained.  
"Guys... You shouldn't think about your father that way." - Noelle sighed - "I know, your father's not always very nice. And sometimes, he can be awful. But I'm pretty sure he would never do things the skeleton from the comics did."  
"He would, you just don't know him that well." - Sam protested.  
"But he's not all bad. He can be good too, he just unlearned to make the right choices." - Piper shared her opinion.  
"It's funny how you think like Papyrus." - Sam remarked to his sister - "But what are the good things he ever did?"  
"He did at least one good thing in his life." - Noelle said as she grabbed the childrens' hands in hers - "__He adopted you.__ Not everyone is capable to take care of someone else's child. Or even their own… Also, he adopted __both of you__. He could've picked just one of you, because it would've been easier for him, but he decided to raise you __both__ as his children."  
"So... you think that he does care about us after all?" - Piper asked with hope.  
"But of course he does, Piper." - Noelle answered - "If he found it in him to raise stranger children as his own, it's a proof that there's love in his heart."  
"It's more like there's LOVE in his heart." - Sam commented.  
"I'm… not sure I get your sarcasm…?" - Noelle frowned.  
"LOVE in the world you and your family come from stands for Level of Violence." - Piper explained - "But Noelle is actually right! There's not only LOVE in dad's heart, there must be some good love too! Wait..."  
Piper grabbed the comic book she and her brother brought with them and browsed the pages until she reached one specific page. It displayed Dr Gaster and Frisk in a fight.  
"Here! There's another good thing Dad did in his life!" - Piper showed the page to both her brother and Noelle.

**_**13 years before the De-Code**_**

"Just give up, human." - Dr Gaster said, his tone and expression stoic - "It'll make your death less painful."  
"Never...!"  
A twelve years old Frisk was trying to stand up after Gaster's previous attack, as her limbs were shaking. She already had a few bruises on her body and face, and her nose was bleeding a little. Not to mention her head aching. Dr Gaster was a powerful monster, his blue magic was just ravaging. He had less HP than Undyne, but he knew how to use his magic.  
"We... we __don't have to__ fight…" - Frisk said, panting slightly, as she could look up at the scientist again.  
"You won't trick me. I know all your human tricks." - Dr Gaster said as he summon an umpteenth blaster - "But I'm not as naive as most of the monsters you encountered, so I won't fall for it."  
"It's not a trick!" - Frisk started to protest.  
But then, she hurried to dodge the firing blaster. Frisk avoided the attack under the wire. She begged Gaster again to stop. But the ex-Royal Scientist was having none of it. Ignoring her words, he said:  
"Your SOUL is the only chance for monsterkind."  
"Dr Gaster, plea-"  
Frisk's attempt of begging fell on deaf ears; Gaster used blue magic again and hit her hard against a wall. Gaster was standing completely unmoved as he watched the young child try to stand up. It took some time, but Frisk managed to sit on her knees and look up at the skeleton again.  
"I... I know who you are…" - she said weakly - "I heard about you around."  
"Yes, and so? I'm not interested on your opinion about me." - Gaster replied as calmly as he summon a set of bones.  
"You created two living beings… you really have a brilliant mind…" - Frisk pursued.  
"Tell me something I don't know."  
The bones flew straight at Frisk, who managed to dodge most of the hits. But the girl noticed that… the attack wasn't as strong as the previous ones? Frisk wondered for a moment why was it so. Then she guessed that Gaster lowered his attack unconsciously, this being the result of the flattery.  
"You've made some mistakes… So… you surely know making another one won't make it better…" - Frisk went on.  
"It's too late for me anyway."  
"No... no, a great scientist like you wouldn't give up, right..? There's hope for everyone…"  
"Not for me." - Gaster shook his head, his voice sounding the same, but his posture seemed to have somewhat loosened - "And you don't even know what you're talking about, human."  
"I do… monsters tried to hurt me, but in the end they…" - Frisk said, wincing at the wave of pain she felt in her head - "...they spared me, they didn't do the mistake…"  
"You cannot compare, the situations are very different." - Dr Gaster replied as he lifted Frisk with his blue magic again.  
"Not that much…" - the girl said with a weak voice.  
Frisk shut her eyes close, expecting another violent hit against a wall or the ceiling. She felt as if it was almost hopeless try to reason Gaster. From what she could find out about him throughout her adventure in the Underground, he did too many wrong choices and hurt people. He even hurt his own sons. All of that was disturbing, but Frisk knew there must've been some part of goodness somewhere she could reach.  
"Please... if the mistakes you made, your hatred towards me results from the doings of my kind… I know it won't change much, but, uh…" - Frisk said with a trembling voice - "I'm sorry."  
"Don't you speak about things you don't understand…!" - Gaster hit the girl against the ceiling and then let her drop the floor.  
Frisk's vision blurred. Both because of how sick she felt and the tears in her eyes as well. She felt she would die… again. She couldn't move anymore, she didn't really try to stand up. There was no point, her SOUL was still blue and so Gaster had all the control over it. She heard him make a few steps in her direction. She heard him summon something, probably a blaster, but she couldn't be sure. Her body trembled of pain, fear and cries. As Dr Gaster approached, preparing his final hit, he heard the child's sniffles. He looked at the girl's trembling body for a moment, then heard a weak and cracked voice, muffled by the floor the face was lying on. Frisk sounded desperate.  
"Please... don't... don't k-kill me… __please__…"  
Seeing the child shake in fear and pain, hearing her plea to not kill her… this brought to Gaster's mind an image from his past. He could see himself, a much younger self, at the war. He remembered his own trembling when he was trying to hide from the humans on battlefield. He didn't want to kill anyone, but he didn't want to be killed either. Gaster had moments like those, in which he was in the same posture as this human child. To his own surprise, he asked himself what he should do. One part of him was saying that if humans didn't show any mercy to him, he shouldn't show it to one of them either. It was only fair. But another part of him was telling… __"I know this pain and fear. I know how it feels. Do I have the right to make another person endure it?"__ For once in a long time, Gaster listened to that long forgotten inner pacifist voice. So, he made the blaster dissipate and he released the child's SOUL from his blue magic. Frisk gasped as she felt that her SOUL lost that invisible weight and pressure. At first unsure, she eventually stood up. All her body hurt, but she was alive. She looked at Gaster for a moment, then made one step towards him.  
"I... You… You're really sparing me?" - she asked faintly.  
"Go." - Gaster said simply, as Frisk let out a sob of relief and smiled in gratitude - "Go before I change my mind."  
"Thank you… Dr Gaster…"  
With those words, Frisk proceeded to limp away, mentally noting that she should get some monster food quickly. Gaster watched her walk away with conflicting thoughts in his mind. Why didn't he just kill her when he had the chance? After a moment, he guessed that the kid would die from someone else's hand anyway. It wouldn't be a big difference.

**_**Present day**_**

"Dad made the choice to not kill Frisk." - Piper stated before closing the comic book - "He could have killed her, but he didn't."  
"Yeah... He did make __some__ good choices in his life." - Sam said with a nod - "Heh, you can tell you owe him your life, Noelle."  
"Huh? How so?" - Noelle asked.  
"Did you forget what we told you before?" - Piper asked - "Frisk is your mother. If Gaster didn't spare her back then, you would never be born."  
"So you haven't abandoned that idea about my roomie actually being my mom." - Noelle sighed.  
"We haven't, because it's true." - Sam said.  
"How can we convince you?" - Piper asked.  
"I don't know, maybe with some actual proofs." - Noelle replied.  
Proofs? Sam and Piper pondered for a moment until they suddenly got an idea. They remembered how their father once explained them about the DNA. He had also mentioned that the DNA is present everywhere in the human body and that it doesn't take more than one hair to check it.  
"I think we can provide you the proof you want so much." - Sam said - "We just need your and Francesca's hairs."  
"What? No, don't tell me..."  
"Yes, we'll make a DNA test!" - Piper confirmed - "And when you see the result, you'll have to believe!"  
Noelle wanted to protest, saying that doing it was pointless. But then, she had an idea. If she let the kids do that test and see that there was no match found, they'd realize that they were wrong and would progressively accept the reality.  
"Alright, guys. I'll give you hairs." - Noelle said as she pulled out one hair from her head - "I'll check Fran's brush and take a hair from there."  
"Yay! You're the best, Noelle!" - Piper beamed in joy.  
"You won't regret it!" - Sam added.  
"But how will you make that test? I mean, your father works at the hospital…" - Noelle asked.  
"Don't worry about that, we know some people." - Sam said with a what was supposed to be badass tone, while Piper underlined his words by nodding slowly.

The next day, Alicia was watching over the twins while Gaster was at the hospital. He'd be back home very late and he couldn't keep his children up until then. Alicia, loving having fun with the kids, decided to show them a cool trick. She and the kids were in the garden, because if they did that at home, the result would be very messy. As Alicia opened a bottle of Diet Coke and put it on the ground, she took out of her pocket a plastic tube full of Mentos she had prepared beforehand.  
"Now, I'm going to plunge the mint candy in the coke…" - Alicia said as she put a cardboard over the opening of the tube, then reversed it to put over the opening of the bottle - "Look."  
The woman then quickly retrieved the cardboard and all the mentos fell down in the drink. Alicia immediately made one step behind, after what the coke shoot out of the bottle very high! It was a spectacular fountain and the kids watched at it impressed. Even though it lasted a few seconds only, the sight was worthy.  
"Oh my gosh...! That was amazing!" - Piper yelled.  
"Can we do that again sometime?!" - Sam asked.  
"Y-yeah, of course." - Alicia replied - "Just... don't try that on your own in the house, o-okay?"  
"We won't, I promise." - Sam said.  
"Does that work with other drinks too?" - Piper asked - "Why did you use Diet Coke instead of a regular Coke?"  
"B-because Diet Coke provides the best r-result… When tried with a regular Coke, the fountain isn't that high…" - Alicia explained - "I'm glad I could impress you. E-even though I just repeated what I saw on the internet…"  
"Aw, what really matters is that it was awesome." - Piper reassured the non-confident doctor.  
"Hehe... Now, let's get back inside. You're surely hungry now, right?" - Alicia said.  
The twins nodded after what they along with Alicia went back in the house. Alicia, Sam and Piper watched an episode of a cool anime while they waited for the pizzas to get cooked in the oven. Later, when the three were eating, the twins decided it was the moment to make their difficult request.  
"Alicia... you're our friend, right?" - Sam asked.  
"Of... of c-course I am...! W-why are you... a-asking me this? Did… did I di-disappoint you in any way…?" - Alicia asked back.  
"No, no, it's not that!" - Piper hurried to reassure their nervous friend.  
"Then... what is it about?"  
"Um, well... If we had a strange request for you, would you do that for us?" - Sam asked.  
"Uh. What... what kind of r-request…?" - Alicia asked with a worried look.  
"Can you do a DNA test for us, without telling our dad?" - Piper went straight to the point.  
"A DNA test...? That's... that really __is__ a s-strange request indeed…" - Alicia remarked - "But... why? A-are you starting to doubt that Noelle is your mother..?"  
"No, it's not about us." - Sam replied.  
"Good... It would be a shame if N-Noelle wasn't… was not… your mother, b-because… you must be proud to have such a c-cute mom…" - Alicia said, before realizing what she said - "Err, I-I mean…! I meant cute as in 'she's pretty', b-but without any second thoughts, haha..."  
"We want you to compare Noelle's DNA with Francesca's." - Sam snapped Alicia out of her flustered rambling.  
"W-what?"  
"Remember when we told you that our dad is the antagonist from the comic book you gave us?" - Piper asked.  
"I-I remember... a-and I still think you shouldn't take comics too seriously..." - Alicia remarked nervously - "So, it's about that story again..?"  
"Yes, we want to prove Noelle that she's Francesca's daughter." - Piper explained.  
"Guys, it's just impossible, the two are of the same age…" - Alicia said.  
"Please, Alicia? Can you do it for us?" - Piper pleaded.  
"I... uh, well... f-fine. I'll do the DNA test." - Alicia sighed - "If that'll make you happy…"  
"And Dad can't know about it!" - Sam reminded.  
"B-but he... he's the head of the laboratory, and…" - Alicia replied as she got nervous again, but under the pressure of the kids' serious looks, she gave up - "Uh, I guess I'll just find the right moment…"

The next evening, Alicia found a moment where she'd have the laboratory for herself. Or at least, Dr Gaster wouldn't show up at that time, because of his shedule. Taking the two hairs Sam and Piper gave her, Alicia proceeded the test. A bit later, as she was waiting for the system to analyze the two DNAs and figure out if there was a match or not, Alicia gave a quick look at the newspaper. The doctor sighed as she read that another person - this time a young man - had been killed. __"Ondine must be so frustrated about this... I know her, she's trying really hard to catch the killer. I wonder how she really feels about all this, everytime another person get killed?"__ \- Alicia pondered - __"I should chat with her in near future. I wish I could be of any actual help to her."__ The computer she was sitting at made a noise, informing that the analysis was done. Alicia was about to look at the result, but before she had a chance to do so, someone entered the room and she quickly reduced the window.  
"Oh, good I found you, doctor." - a male nurse said as he saw her - "You're needed on the third floor."  
"Is... is that urgent..?" - Alicia asked nervously - "I... I'm busy with something r-right now…"  
"It's that problematic patient of yours. She's throwing a tantrum and the nurses staff can't deal with it on their own." - the young man said.  
"Oh gosh, it's Meya-Katie Madison?"  
"Yes. So, you can guess why we need your help."  
Alicia knew well that the nurses couldn't handle the woman on their own. Meya-Katie was a hot-tempered person and she wouldn't always follow the doctors' (or anyone else's) orders that easily. She'd throw a tantrum if something didn't please her or if she was just put in a less comfortable situation. Many people would qualify her as an "hysteric". When Meya-Katie had to stay in the hospital, Alicia and other doctors had tested her to see if there wasn't some pathology. But it appeared that Meya-Katie was normal, just had some anger issues.  
"Alright, let's go calm her down." - Alicia said as she stood up from her chair.  
She and the male nurse exited the room, the computer session still open.

Meantime in Francesca's hospital room, the young woman got another visit from Paxton. Fran noticed that even though Paxton was as much friendly and smiling towards her, his eyes betrayed some sadness. It was subtle, but Fran could sense that something bothered him.  
"Is there something wrong?" - she asked him - "Something that's bothering you?"  
"N-no..! I, the great Paxton, am always alright...!" - Paxton tried to use his joyful and enthousiast tone again, but he didn't sound convincing this time.  
Francesca wasn't fooled. Concerned, she stated:  
"You don't have to hide it if something's wrong."  
"It's fine, really."  
"If you tell me what's going on, it won't make any less great, you know." - Fran said with a tiny smile, before getting serious again - "But you don't have to, if it's something too personal."  
"Well... It's not 'personal', since it's something the entire town talks about." - Paxton said, loosening his defenses.  
"Oh, it's the serial killer's case." - Francesca understood.  
"Yes... Another person had been killed, this makes four victims." - Paxton decided to open up - "Four persons were killed, four innocents the police failed to protect. If we don't stop him at time, we… we'll fail the town. I decided to become a policeman because I want to protect people. But now, when they need me, I just can't find the serial killer."  
"You're afraid to fail everyone. It's understandable. But it's not your fault if the guy's still… out there. He can't run and hide forever and eventually, you will stop him."  
"I just don't want there to be even more victims... I just want to save them all, like we couldn't save the four others."  
"You did save __me__, didn't you?" - Fran stated gently.  
Paxton looked at Francesca for a moment and then a part of his sadness was gone from his gaze. He smiled an actual smile, which was now also present in his eyes.  
"I guess I did." - he said - "It would've been a loss if I didn't."  
Paxton said those words with such pure honesty that Fran couldn't help but feel flattered.  
"You're so nice." - she said - "But anyway, don't let the killer discourage you. He's insane, he acts for his own dark reasons we can't understand. But you, you are a policeman, you act to maintain peace and make our lives better. For now he's hiding and you can't find him, but in the end, he's in the wrong while you're in the right. You chose the right path, and for this reason alone, he's nothing on you."  
"Francesca..." - Paxton felt touched that his friend believed in him, then he leaned forward and hugged her, surprising Fran - "Thank you! Your words made me feel much better now! Well, I'm still pretty sad for those who… died. But I will no longer let this get to me! In fact, thinking about them will make me stronger! Because I'll do everything to catch the guy in memory of those people, and for all the others I want to protect!"  
"I... I'm glad you feel better now..." - Fran muttered as she felt her cheeks heat up due to being embraced in Paxton's arms.  
"I do!" - Paxton confirmed, not letting go of the young woman.  
"Um… Am I interrupting something?"  
Paxton and Francesca looked in the direction of the door where they saw Taylor standing there with a tiny (knowing?) smile on her face. Paxton let go of Francesca and greeted the elder woman.  
"Hello, Mrs Underwood! It's nice to meet you for real!" - he said with his usual energy - "My name's Paxton."  
"It's nice to meet you, Paxton." - Taylor replied - "I suppose you are the police officer who stayed near my daughter until the ambulance arrived?"  
"Yes, that's me!" - Paxton confirmed with a smile - "Well, I shall go now, you two want to chat and I have to work on the case! Have a good evening, Francesca and Mrs Underwood!"  
"Good evening, Paxton." - Francesca replied.  
"Good evening, officer." - Taylor said on her turn.  
When Paxton left, Taylor looked her daughter with a look of mischief.  
"He's cute, isn't he?" - she said with a subtly teasing tone.  
"I... I never thought about it…" - Fran tried to sound casual, but her mother could see through her.  
"You didn't? But I'm pretty sure I saw you blush when he had his arms around you."  
"Mom..!"  
Fran blushed even harder than the previous time and Taylor laughed at her daughter's behavior.

The next day, after Noelle got dressed to go to work, she saw that there was an envelope in the mailbox. Noelle saw the ensign of the hospital, she understood that it was the result of the DNA test. She opened it, and read that it said there was no match. __"Nothing that I didn't already know."__ \- Noelle thought to herself - __"But how shall Sam and Piper take it? They'll surely be disappointed... But it's for their own good."__

Meanwhile, Dr Gaster was sitting in his study, staring at the screen of his laptop. He couldn't believe how far things started to go. His children got Alicia to make a DNA comparison test. It was a pure luck Alicia was gone long enough for him to notice the reduced - but still open - window on the computer of the laboratory. The first reaction he had was shock, but then his mind had quickly acted and the doctor hurried to edit the result before deleting the actual one. __"If Miss Doe had seen the true DNA result, it would be over now. It would've been the end of everything..."__ \- Dr Gaster thought as a shudder went through his body - __"It would've been the end of me…"__ Gaster had talked to Alicia afterwards, and from how she behaved, he could tell that she didn't have the time to see the true result. He was sure of that, because Alicia was terrible at lying. __"The situation is going out of my control…"__ \- the doctor mused as he felt that he was on the edge of another panic attack - __"No... I have to stay strong… I worked so hard on this new life… I can't give up whatever happens… I can't just lose it all now…"__

* * *

**A/N: Why the flashback? There are a couple of reasons. First, I thought it was necessary to show that Gaster and Frisk are not complete strangers to each other. Second, from now on, there will be flashbacks (not in all chapters, but often) so it's a signal that says you should get used to it, hehe.**

**And about Frisk understanding Gaster, she just knows the sign language. When I read "Handplates", I get the impression that knowing sign language is as common as knowing English in foreign countries. So… **

**Some very serious stuff is about to happen now! Things are getting tricky for the kids now that Gaster falsified the DNA result. **

**Oh, and if you didn't guess, the angry patient is no other than Mad Mew Mew. :) **


	13. Chapter 13

**Aaaaand another chapter coming up! **

**Thanks to Cheeky the Monkey for their review! It's very nice to know that someone reads my story and likes it. :) **

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Sam and Piper were sitting at a table at Griffin's, waiting for Noelle to show up. Alicia had brought them there after school, thinking that the twins would be happy to see Noelle. The kids smiled as they saw her go out of the kitchen, carrying orders. Noelle looked in their direction and nodded, which meant "I'll come to you soon". When she served the customers, she walked up to their table. After she took their orders, Alicia decided to retrieve to give some privacy to Noelle and the twins.  
"I'll uh… I have to… go to the r-restroom…" - she said nervously - "I'll be back in a few m-minutes, hehe…"  
When she walked away, Sam and Piper looked up at Noelle with expecting expressions. The young woman knew what they wanted to hear from her and it pained her that she'd have to disappoint them.  
"Guys, I got the DNA test result." - she said, then sat down opposite them - "There's no match between my DNA and Fran's."  
"What?" - Piper asked as her face fell - "But it's impossible… There must be a match."  
"Kids, it just means that Fran is not my mom." - Noelle replied with a small sigh - "I've told you this before, and now I think you should just accept it."  
"No, no…" - Sam shook his head - "We know that the De-Code is true. Our father surely found out about the DNA test and faked the result."  
"Or maybe, Fran and I are just not related?" - Noelle tried again.  
"No. I know you are, and we'll prove it to you by another mean." - Piper said.  
"Sorry, but there's no more effective and reliable mean than a DNA test."  
"Uh… Excuse me, there's a very hungry customer here!" - a familiar voice got heard.  
Noelle turned around and saw that it was Sancho, already sitting at his usual spot.  
"Oh, sorry Sancho. I didn't hear you come in…" - Noelle said.  
"That's alright, I arrived moments ago." - Sancho replied with his characteristic large smile.  
"I haven't seen you around the past three days. That's a record for you." - Noelle remarked - "Everything's going okay?"  
"That's 'cause I found a job. I got hired at the powerhouse." - Sancho replied.  
"Oh, but that's wonderful! I'm proud of you." - Noelle smiled - "The usual, Sancho?"  
"You know me well, kiddo."  
Before Noelle went back to the kitchen, she advised the kids to just accept the truth as it was. When she was out of sight, the twins walked up to Sancho with alarmed looks.  
"We tried to do a DNA test to prove Noelle she's Francesca's daughter, but the result says 'no match'!" - Piper said - "We Believe Dad faked it..!"  
"This is untoward…" - Sancho commented as his expression darkened.  
"But what shall we do now?" - Sam asked.  
"Like I said, I got a job at the powerhouse. Now that I work there, I can investigate and eventually find the secret entrance to the secret floor."  
"Oh, I get it! When you find it, you'll show it to Noelle and she'll have to believe!" - Sam understood.  
"Something like that, yes." - Sancho confirmed - "Meanwhile, just try to… not pressure Noelle into it, ok?"  
"But we aren't..!" - Piper protested.  
"Maybe you're not, but she might feel as though you are." - Sancho pointed out - "So, just be careful when you bring up the topic."  
"Alright, we'll try." - Sam replied.  
The kids then saw Alicia coming out of the restroom, so they sat back on their seats. As Alicia joined them, she said:  
"I noticed you are… more, um… 'beaming' when you're around Noelle…?"  
"I guess we're just glad when we see her." - Sam replied.  
"That's natural, I suppose… Eh, I love it better w-when you're like that r-rather than when you're… err… you know, a-angry at your dad and all... That's n-not a reproach…!" - Alicia stated nervously - "So, I uh, thought that maybe uh, since your father's not coming home soon, we could… do a detour to the playground…? Along with Noelle…?"  
"Oh, we'd love that!" - Piper exclaimed.  
"Yeah! Let's ask her when she brings our orders!" - Sam exclaimed on his turn.  
And that's what they did. Luckily, the waitress' shedule of the day wasn't a late one, so she could come along without a problem. About thirty minutes later, the group of four went to the playground. There were a couple of other kids there. Noelle sat down at a bench while Sam and Piper ran to take the free swings. Alicia didn't sit, but she was standing next to the bench. Noelle noticed and asked:  
"Why don't you sit down too? There's room for both of us."  
"What..? N-no, th-thanks… I'm o-okay standing…" - Alicia replied nervously.  
"What's the matter? Don't tell me you're afraid of me?" - Noelle asked with an amused grin - "I don't bite, you know."  
"It's just uh… I'm n-nervous around p-people I don't know too well…" - the older woman explained.  
"Oh. Well, I won't force you to sit down then."  
A long moment passed after Noelle said that, until Alicia finally decided to sit down. She was still very tense, though. Noelle smiled and asked:  
"So... what kind of a doctor are you, Alicia?"  
"M-me? I... I am a surgeon, just like Sam and Piper's father." - Alicia answered - "Like any doctor at the hospital, I do many other things too of course. B-but I'm sort of s-specialized in, uh… p-plastic surgery."  
"Oh, wow. So you really must be a good doctor!" - Noelle replied, impressed.  
"M-maybe… P-plastic surgeons are very demanded nowadays, right…?"  
"Yeah, people like you can make others happier about themselves." - Noelle commented, then looked back at the twins, who were swinging joyfully - "When something's wrong with your body, with the right tools and skills, you can just repair it. Sadly, when it comes to your mind… it's not that simple."  
"Uh? What are you talking about?"  
At that moment, Alicia's cellphone rang. As she looked down at the screen, she said with an awkward tone:  
"It's… it's from the hospital, I h-have to answer…"  
"Sure, no problem." - Noelle replied.  
With a grateful nod, Alicia stood up and walked away by a few steps to answer the call. Noelle looked at the twins again and mentally noted how happy and carefree they looked at that moment. __"Why can't you guys always be that way?"__ \- she wondered - __"Why are you, deep down so unhappy? You need your fantasies as a shelter… why?"__ Her train of thoughts got interrupted as she noticed a little black boy staring at her from a few steps away with a look of wonder. The boy seemed to be no older than four years and he was wearing mostly brown and yellow clothes. Noelle smiled at him and said:  
"Hello there. What's your name?"  
"I'm Mike Junior." - the little boy answered then approached Noelle almost timidely - "Are you Nyla?"  
"What?" - Noelle asked with a slight frown but still smiling - "No, my name is Noelle."  
"Oh." - Mike said.  
"But who's Nyla?" - Noelle asked curiously.  
"Nyla's his imaginary friend." - a man, seemingly the boy's dad, said from the neighbor bench - "I don't know, maybe he thought you resemble her?"  
"She has big pretty green eyes." - Mike Jr said - "Like yours."  
"Haha, so young but already a flatterer." - the father said as he walked up to Noelle - "My son didn't bother you, did he?"  
"No, not at all." - Noelle shook her head - "He's adorable. So, I presume you are the Mike Senior?"  
"You got that right, yo." - the father replied with a smile and a stylish hand-wave - "My name's Mike Kim. But just Mike is fine."  
"Nice to meet you, Mike. My name's Noelle Doe."  
"Wait… You're Fran's roomie, right?" - Mike asked, getting a nod of confirmation from Noelle - "She had talked about you, she said you are a nice friend."  
"Really? And are you her friend too?"  
"Yeah, she and I shared a course." - Mike answered - "We had many fun hangouts, she helped to study some stuff… You know, Fran wanted to introduce you and I to each other."  
"She did?"  
"But you know, when you have a little kid…" - Mike fuzzed his son's head - "...you don't have time for hangouts like before."  
"Well, it's nice that we got to meet each other." - Noelle said with a smile.  
"By the way, I heard that Fran ended up in the hospital. How's she doing?"  
"Oh, she's recovering well. In fact, I think she'll return home this evening."  
"That's good news. It's terrible what's happening in the town with that murderer around!" - Mike commented.  
"It is. The police tries the best it can…"  
Sam and Piper had stopped swinging for about one minute now, as soon as they saw Mike Jr, then his father, walk up to Noelle. The twins approached a little to investigate and after a moment they made the connection.  
"Sam, I think Mike's Monster Kid and Mike Jr's his son." - Piper whispered to her brother.  
"Yeah, that makes sense." - Sam replied.  
"Oh, Sam, Piper, I didn't notice you being here." - Noelle noticed them - "Eavesdropping isn't polite, you know?"  
"We weren't!" - Sam exclaimed.  
"We were just done with the swings and wanted to talk to you, but you're already busy talking!" - Piper said.  
"Haha, I was just teasing you, guys." - Noelle said.  
"Well, it was nice to meet you, Noelle. See ya around, yo." - Mike said as he lifted his son - "Say goodbye to Noelle, Junior."  
"Bye, bye." - the boy said.  
"Bye, Mike Junior." - Noelle said - "And say hi to your friend Nyla for me."  
Mike Jr just smiled in response to her. When the father and son walked away, Sam and Piper sat next to Noelle.  
"So he has an imaginary friend he calls 'Nyla'?" - Sam asked.  
"He does... And apparently, she has green eyes like mine." - Noelle replied.  
"Green eyes?! Wow, that's sure now." - Piper commented - "Everything corresponds: Mike's Francesca's friend, the initials M.K., a very young son…"  
"Oh no, don't tell me you know Mike and Junior's true identities…" - Noelle commented, bringing her hand to her forehead.  
"We do. Mike's name was Monster Kid." - Sam replied.  
"He's certainly not a kid, guys. He's a fully grown man and has a son."  
"We know, his parents chose his name poorly." - Piper agreed - "When he grew up, people started to call him M.K., so it wouldn't sound ridiculous. Anyway, he got a son, who was his spitting image, so that son was named Monster Kid Jr."  
"You don't remember, but you and Monster Kid Jr used to play alot together, since M.K. and Frisk were friends, and…" - Sam pursued.  
But then, Noelle stopped the kids in a very unexpected way. She snapped at them.  
"Guys, stop it at once!"  
Sam and Piper fell silent and stared at Noelle with surprised expressions. They have never heard her raise her voice at them before. Noelle stood up from the bench to face the two kids.  
"You should stop living in your illusions! You must learn to live the real life!"  
"__This town__ is an illusion." - Sam protested.  
"And we're trying to show you what's really real!" - Piper added.  
"Guys, just… stop. __For God's sake__, stop all that." - Noelle said as she inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly, trying to control her temper - "You're probably unhappy at some level to prefer fantasy over reality, but you'll __have to__ accept the reality. And better sooner than later, because it can be dangerous for your own health..!"  
"What do you mean...?" - Piper asked, not sure to follow.  
"Being fed up by fanstasies is unhealthy for your minds. And if you continue on that path, people shall question its state." - Noelle tried to reason them - "I know, you're just trying to remain in the zone of comfort, but you must try to get out of it to work more on your vulnerability."  
"What do you know about that?" - Sam asked, crossing his arms as he didn't like the direction their talk was taking.  
"I admit I'm not a psychologist, but I did read books about the matter." - Noelle answered - "But that's not the point right now. The point is - you just can't keep believing in unreal things."  
"But why does it bother you?" - Piper asked - "Mike is okay that his son has an imaginary friend!"  
"Junior is __four__, having an imaginary friend is normal at his age. But you, you believe in an imaginary world while you're nine, which is __not normal__."  
"So... to you, Piper and I are mad?" - Sam asked.  
He and his sister were looking at Noelle with shocked expressions, which bothered her.  
"I didn't say that."  
"But that's what you meant."  
"N-no, I... I'm just concerned for your well-being, and…" - Noelle tried to explain.  
"Because you think we went mad." - Piper said as her eyes got filled with tears.  
It was at that moment that Alicia finally ended her phone conversation and walked up to the three. As she approached, she saw the upset expressions on their faces, which immediately worried her.  
"Everything's going o-okay there...?"  
"...Yeah, don't worry about it." - Noelle said as she tried to fake a smiling expression - "I... I think I should go now. I have things to take care of at home."  
"B-but... What happened?" - Alicia asked.  
"Nothing you must be worried about, Alicia. Good evening."  
With those words, Noelle left the playground.

Noelle returned at the apartement, feeling ashamed. She shouldn't have talked to the kids that way, she shouldn't have implied that they were losing their minds. It wasn't her place to say that, nor was it the right thing to say to help them. When Noelle was about to make herself a cup of tea to calm her nerves, she saw Francesca come out of her bedroom.  
"Fran? I thought you'd come back a bit later."  
"My parents brought me here a few minutes ago." - Francesca replied, then noticed her friend's sad expression - "Uh… What's the matter, Noelle? You look upset."  
"I'm fine, Fran." - Noelle replied as she proceeded to make tea.  
"No, I can clearly see that you're not." - Fran shook her head and approached Noelle - "What happened? You know you can tell me anything, Noelle."  
"I... I kind of had an argument with Sam and Piper." - Noelle admitted - "I said some upsetting things to them, and then… I left without even saying sorry."  
"Being a parent isn't easy." - Fran said, then put her hand over Noelle's shoulder - "I don't know what happened, but I'm sure that in a couple of days, they'll forgive you."  
"I don't know, I feel like I really screwed up." - Noelle said as she put her head between her hands - "Our relationship is already pretty fragile due to all the circumstances."  
"Fragile? Don't say that. I think the twins and you are closer than they are with their father, and this means something. You were doing good this far, and Sam and Piper are so lucky to have you."  
"You really mean it?" - Noelle looked up at her friend.  
"I do. Not every orphan child has the chance to meet their parents and then bond with them."  
"They don't, indeed. I wish I could ever find mine, so I can ask them why they abandoned me. All my life I tried to imagine a reason for them, but I really can't see what possibly motivated them to do what they did. They just threw me out of their lives as if I were some trash. All that I have left from them are my first name and a child's dress."  
"I guess you must be very angry towards them." - Fran said with sympathy.  
"It's an understatement. I **_**hate**_** them." - Noelle said with empty eyes and flat tone.  
Francesca hugged her friend close, feeling very sorry for her. But at the same time, for some reason, she didn't like the last phrase Noelle said; it gave her an unpleasant feeling. After a moment, she asked:  
"Can you show me that dress?"  
"What?"  
"I understand if you don't want to, I was just curious."  
"...I suppose that since we're friends, I'll show it to you." - Noelle said as the two walked in the direction of her bedroom - "It's not like you'll ruin it."  
Noelle opened her closet and pulled out a box. When she opened it, she took out from its bottom a salmon-red dress with long white sleeves and a weird purple symbol on the front.  
"Wow... It's so pretty." - Fran said as her hand reached towards the fabric - "May I?"  
Noelle nodded and Francesca took it in her hands. As she touched the soft fabric, ran her fingers across the symbol, she couldn't help but close her eyes and smile. Her heart got suddenly warmed up by some mysterious pleasant feeling.  
"You really seem to like it." - Noelle commented, to which her friend nodded.  
But then, Francesca's feelings suddenly changed. It was like a cold wind that crossed her entire being. Then, even odder, she felt her eyes to get filled with tears. So, Fran immediately gave the dress back to Noelle, who put it back down in the box.  
"I almost forgot my tea." - Noelle said as she remembered about it - "Do you want me to make you a cup?"  
"...Yes, please." - Francesca replied.  
When Noelle left the room, Fran stood there for a few moments. She tried to fight back the tears, but she couldn't. Her eyes started to cry on their own, and the young woman couldn't understand why. __"What's going on…?"__ \- she asked herself as she was wiping the tears with her sleeve - __"It's not normal to cry for no reason… Why...?"__ And so, Francesca stood there for minutes - even though it felt like hours - as her eyes were just crying on their own.

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**A/N: Even though Fran doesn't remember, deep down the mother within her cries at the loss of her child… **

**A more angsty chapter this time… **  
**The twins really should've listened seriously to Sancho's advice. And yeah, I gave to Monster Kid a son, to show that Noelle did have a friend when she was a child, and that not only the main characters had their life to evolve.**  
**Noelle states that she "hates" her parents, but in fact it's more complex than that. She can never really hate people, it's just that she has the impression as if she hates them. It's more to be taken as "I hate what they did to me" and "I'm way too angry towards them to express it in words". Or, it can also be understood as Noelle hates her parents because deep down she needs them and knows that she once loved them. So it's not the simple kind of hate.**

**Be prepared for the next chapter to be _very_ tense. Many things are about to happen, most of them being kinda... _thrilling_. :) **


	14. Chapter 14

**Be prepared for some thrills and revelations in this chapter! :D**

* * *

Noelle and Francesca were watching the morning news with worry and a growing fear. The serial killer hadn't stopped and had killed a young couple. It happened when the two were having some fresh air during a party that involved alcohol drinks. Thus, the young man and his girlfriend weren't exactly in the state to defend themselves.  
"That already makes six victims…" - Fran said as she shook her head in shocked disbelief - "Will the killer ever stop?"  
"Just what is he trying to accomplish?" - Noelle wondered at loud.  
"Poor Paxton…" - Fran commented, making Noelle look at her friend curiously - "He was already so frustrated about the case, and now he has to deal with a new double murder. He must be put under so much pressure."  
"You're so concerned for him. Anything you want to tell me about you two?" - Noelle asked.  
"We are not dating, Noelle." - Francesca said with a hint of embarrassement - "Of course I'm concerned, he tries to stay strong for everyone while deep down he's unsure about how much the police can do."  
"I know, I just wanted to ease the mood a bit." - Noelle said - "Anyway, I have to go. I'll try to talk with Sam and Piper."  
"But they're at school." - Fran stated.  
"Yeah, but it should be their lunch break soon. So, I'll just find the right moment."

And indeed, Noelle did find a moment. She was relieved to see that the twins were sitting under a tree near the school gate (they often sat there, in case Sancho would need to talk to them). As she got closer, she called for them quietly.  
"Psst. Sam, Piper… Can we talk for a moment?"  
Sam and Piper turned around and then they half-heartedly approached the gate.  
"What do you want?" - Sam asked.  
"Look, I'm sorry for what I said to you two days ago." - Noelle said - "I didn't mean to offend you."  
"But you still didn't change your mind about you-know-what, did you?" - Sam asked.  
"Sam..."  
"Then why do you say you're sorry if you don't really mean it?" - Sam asked, feeling that he was getting irritated.  
"I do mean it, I just can't believe in what you two believe."  
"But why not? We were just trying to help you!" - Piper stated - "Didn't you ever want to find your parents?"  
"I did, and I still do. They do owe me an explanation for what they did to me." - Noelle answered.  
"And you will get all those answers if you just let us guide you." - Piper said - "Can you just give our story a chance?"  
"No, you two must take a break from this. You're getting more and more in trouble because of it." - Noelle refused.  
"So, you still think we're mad." - Sam said darkly.  
"Uh… Sam, Piper, I don't think that you two are mad. I never did." - Noelle said seriously - "But... I want to keep you out of trouble and help you feel better in your life."  
"But you don't believe." - Sam stated.  
"...You really need me to, don't you?" - Noelle stated sadly, then sighed - "I suppose the best for us now is to keep some distances for some time."  
"What? You're __leaving__?" - Piper asked, alarmed.  
"No, I meant just to spend time apart, so we can all calm down." - Noelle explained - "I really am sorry, guys."  
With those words, Noelle walked away from the school. She felt even worse than after the argument they had two days ago. She felt as if she wasn't good enough for them, because she was unable to give them what they wanted. But how was she even supposed to believe in the De-Code, the monsters, Fran and Paxton being her parents…? All of this was simply impossible. Noelle walked for a while until she realized that she arrived at the park. She found a bench at a very calm spot and sat down. She exhaled longly as she closed her eyes. Noelle sat there for a while, just listening the sound of the wind and occasional bird singing. Even though the air was cold, she could still relax her body. Someone approached her from behind and she didn't immediately notice. But then she heard footsteps, which made Noelle open her eyes and quickly turn around. She was surprised to see that it was Florian, Mr Underwood's gardener.  
"Florian?" - she said - "You startled me."  
"Oh, sorry about that." - Florian replied with his usual ear-to-ear smile - "You shouldn't be surprised to see me there, though. I'm the gardener after all."  
"Right... Heh, I guess you cannot work just for one person to earn your living."  
"That's right. That's why my main activity is here, in the park. Because there's always something to do." - Florian said as he sat down next to Noelle - "But what are you doing here __all alone__? You should be more careful. You know, with the serial killer around and all…"  
"He usually kills at night, when the sun's down. Now, it's the afternoon." - Noelle replied awkwardly - "But in fact I didn't think about that, 'cause too much things are on my mind now. I just needed some time alone."  
"Hmm... Does that mean you're not busy right now?" - Florian asked.  
"No, I'm not. Why?"  
"I'm dealing with an… issue, lately. I was thinking if I couldn't ask you for a little favor?"  
"Uh… sure, if it's in my power. What's the favor?" - Noelle asked.  
Florian moved closer to Noelle and he put his hand in his pants pocket as if searching for something. He gave a quick look to the surroundings: there was no one around. Florian then smiled and answered to Noelle's previously asked question.  
"I need you to be __quiet__."  
Before Noelle had the chance to ask what this meant, Florian grabbed her forearm with his right and used his left hand to bring a tissue impregnated in chloral to her mouth and nose. Within moments, Noelle just lost consciousness and Florian smiled maniacally in triumph as he picked her up to carry her away.

When Noelle regained consciousness, the first thing she noticed was that she was in an unfamiliar surrounding. It looked like a living room of a very old house. Noelle wanted to jump on her feet, but she realized she was tied up to the chair she was sitting on. She couldn't move her wrists, nor her feet that were tied together. As her gaze travelled, Noelle's eyes widened when she saw six stained by blood items in the corner of the room. The woman felt panic rise within her. At that moment, Florian entered the room and commented:  
"I see you're awake. That's good, we can begin then."  
"Begin... what exactly..? What do you want from me…?" - Noelle breathed out with a trembling voice - "You... you are the serial killer, right…?"  
"That's me. You're clever."  
"What will you do to me?" - Noelle asked as her breathing quickened in fear - "Why didn't you simply kill me?"  
"Kill you? No, I'm not doing that. At least, __not yet__." - Florian said as he took a gardening knife that was lying on the table.  
He raised the object as if to inspect how the knife shone in the light. Florian then turned to face Noelle, smiling in anticipation as he said:  
"You and I shall have some __fun__ first."

Meanwhile, Sam and Piper returned back home. Gaster noticed that something was wrong with them again, so he asked what it was. But the twins didn't tell him anything.  
"It's strange to not hear you blaming me for unexistant things." - Gaster commented.  
"What's the point anyway..." - Sam replied, his mind seeming to be elsewhere.  
"We're just not in a great mood." - Piper made up an excuse.  
So, the twins went up the stairs and straight to their room, saying no more to their father. After a short moment of silence, Piper spoke her mind.  
"I think you were a bit unfair towards Noelle."  
"What? So now, you think that it's my fault if she doesn't want to see us?!"  
"That's not what I mean… It's just that Sancho warned us about pressuring on her. And I think we did pressure on her… But you try to make her feel guilty for not believing."  
"But we __need__ her, Piper! Or all hope is lost!" - Sam exclaimed - "We can't fail the town, and if Noelle keeps being stubborn, the town will never be saved!"  
"I know that! But... she's new to all that stuff, she's just not ready and…" - Piper justified her mother's behavior - "...and I need her more than just a 'savior' for our town. I want her to be… a mom."  
"She's already our mother."  
"I know, but I meant... for real. Now, it's more like you, me and Noelle are… friends. But that's __not enough__." - Piper explained - "I hope she'll want more too, someday. But now that she's upset, she won't like us as much as I want her to like us…!"  
"But it's not __my fault__ if she doesn't feel that way!" - Sam protested - "Hey, maybe it's in fact __you__ who pushed her away?"  
"Me...? No! I... I always was nice to her, just like with Dad, and… and…!" - Piper couldn't form a coherent phrase from that point, then she unexpectingly took one of her pillows and threw it at Sam's face - "You're stupid, Sam…! Stupid!"  
She then turned her back at her brother, facing the wall, and sat down on her bed with her arms crossed. Sam just stared at her for a moment, then threw the pillow back to her and sat on his own bed with an irritated expression.

In Florian's house, Noelle looked at the man with eyes full of fear as he leaned to her. The knife was still in his hand.  
"Florian... Please… Whatever you're about to do… don't." - she pleaded with a shaky voice.  
Without saying a word, Florian smirked and as soon as his hand touched Noelle's face, the woman closed her eyes. She felt the cold blade against her skin and she gasped - almost screamed - expecting the pain to follow. But it never came. Noelle just felt a strand of hair being slightly pulled. She felt that Florian wasn't that close to her anymore, so she opened her eyes. She frowned in confusion: Florian had just… cut some of her hair? As Noelle looked at him with confusion and fear, Florian said while studying the strand of hair closely.  
"Soft, straight, brown…" - he commented as though to himself - "It looks and feels similarily, but it's still not quite the same…"  
With those words, Florian carelessly dropped the hair on the floor. Florian saw that Noelle was still staring at him with a mix of different emotions.  
"Chara's hair was a shade lighter." - he commented.  
"Who's Chara...?" - Noelle asked.  
"She __was__ my sister." - Florian replied, putting an emphasis on 'was'.  
"S-sorry…" - Noelle lowered her eyes.  
She wasn't sure what else she could say. Her body was tense and her heart was pounding madly in her chest. Florian pursued:  
"However, your hair looks just like your mother's."  
"Huh...?" - Noelle looked up at Florian again - "I have no mother."  
"Everyone has a mother, you idiot." - Florian replied, irritated - "Where's the said mother is another question. But in your case, there's no need to search too far. Have Sam and Piper already told you?"  
"Let the kids out of this!" - Noelle exclaimed - "What do you want from me?! Why did you kidnap me?!"  
"I want from you exactly the same thing your two 'adorable' kids do." - Florian replied as he leaned to Noelle again - "I need you to believe, to accept the truth as it is."  
"Oh God..." - Noelle breathed out - "You've read that comic book too? And you believed its story?"  
"I don't need some stupid book to know the truth!" - Florian remarked as he proceeded to walk around the chair Noelle was tied to - "Because I am from that world. I __lived__ that story."  
"So, you believe that you are a character from Sam and Piper's book?"  
"No, I don't __believe__ it, I __know__ I am." - Florian's tone was getting edgy - "Everyday, for twenty-two years, I lived the same things, saw all the same faces, did the same things. None of the days made a difference in my life, my routine being like programmed. Every single day, I saw that Mayor's nauseatingly smiling face!"  
Florian's steps and movements were becoming more erratic, and his voice was progressively getting more irritated. Noelle was looking at the gardener with a worried expression, while he kept going about what he had to endure by mimicking a conversation between him and Mayor Underwood.  
"'Howdy Florian! It's a lovely weather today!' 'You don't say, Mr Underwood! Perfect for some gardening!' 'Ho, ho! That's right, why would I've called you then?' 'Good point!' 'Take good care of the daffodils, alright? Their life's short, make it pleasant for them!'" - Florian changed his voice when switching from himself to Mr Underwood - "So pathetic… For __years__, I had to go through the same thing, with very little variation, over, and over, and over, __and over__, __and over__, _**_and OVER_**_…!"  
Florian then realized that he was getting too carried away, so he inhaled deeply and exhaled longly. He put on his 'friendly' smile again and looked at Noelle.  
"Then, you came." - he said - "One day, you came and brought some novelty to this cursed place. Thanks to you, I could remember my true self and purpose. Thanks to you, I could enjoy the murder again."  
"Why... did you kill all those young people?" - Noelle dared to ask.  
"Because the evening I saw you in the Underwoods' house, something awoke within me. A part of myself that had been sleeping. And with every kill… wtih every item collected from my pathetic victims… I remembered a little more. I could remember the purpose of my being. Now that I killed six persons, my memory is fully restored. I know my goal now."  
"And that would be...?" - Noelle asked nervously.  
"That's enough bedtime story for tonight, my friend." - Florian grinned after a short pause.  
Then, all of sudden, he knocked Noelle out by hitting her head against the table.

In the early morning, Ondine was having some coffee she got at the machine. She greeted the officers Dexter (a presbyopic man who went to the work-out room once a day), Dylan and Diane (two married cops who'd rarely do any task apart), after what she went in her office. She was surprised to see Francesca standing there, obviously waiting for a talk. She had a very worried look.  
"Miss Underwood? What brings you here?" - Ondine asked as she took a sip of her coffee.  
"Seargent… I think my friend Noelle went missing." - Francesca said.  
This immediately caught Ondine's interest. The two women sat down and Fran proceeded to explain her assumption. She explained that the last time she saw Noelle was the previous morning, that she wasn't answering to her calls and that she didn't come home at night. Fran also added that Noelle's car was still parked near their building, so she couldn't have left the town.  
"That's indeed very strange..." - the seargent muttered under her breath - "Does she have any boyfriend she could've spend the night with? Is it in her habits to go to nightclubs?"  
"No, it's not like her at all." - Fran shook her head - "Noelle's not really into intimacy, let alone one night stands, due to… well, you know… having experienced teenage pregnancy."  
"That makes sense." - Ondine commented before finishing her coffee - "Well, it does indeed look like Miss Doe's missing. And considering what's going on lately, it's not good at all."  
"What? Are you saying that the serial killer could be involved?" - Francesca asked as she felt panic rise within.  
"I'm afraid it's a possibility to not exclude."  
Francesca's eyes widened in fear as she thought about that possibility. She remained silent for a moment, then asked:  
"Then why don't you do something…? Why aren't you looking for the killer?"  
"What do you think we're all doing since the first kill? We're doing our best, but for now we just don't have any clues to find him." - Ondine said seriously.  
"Then try harder." - Fran said as her tone started to shake - "There must be something you missed..! There must be!"  
"Miss Underwood, I suggest you to calm down and let me do my job-"  
"Calm down..? How can I calm down knowing that my friend is missing or maybe worse..!" - Fran exclaimed as she felt her first tears show up - "What if while we're talking now, the killer has… Noelle is…"  
She tried to fight back her tears but to no avail. So, Fran let them fall. Ondine stared at her dumbstuck, not being the best at dealing with outbursts. (Fran's cries were silent, but Ondine still felt awkward.) Paxton was much better at this stuff than her… The thought of him made the seargent actually call for Paxton, who showed up within minutes. He was surprised to see Francesca there and even more that she was crying. Ondine exposed the situation to Paxton, who immediately felt both sorry for Fran and worried for Noelle. He approached his friend and said gently:  
"Francesca... There is still hope. If she was dead, her body would've already been found."  
"So... You think she's still alive?" - Fran asked.  
"I'm pretty sure she is." - Paxton replied - "It's early to say if the Daffodil Killer is involved, but we'll start looking for Noelle now."  
"If only we knew where to look first..." - Ondine commented under her breath.  
"'Daffodil Killer'...?" - Fran asked curiously.  
"Yes, that's how we labelled his case." - Paxton replied - "Because he always leaves a dried daffodil on the bodies of his victims."  
As Francesca processed what he said, a realization hit her as her eyes widened and she let out a gasp.  
"Oh no..." - she said.  
"Oh no what?" - the seargent asked.  
"If the killer's obsessed with daffodils, that means..." - Fran muttered, then looked up at the two policemen - "I know only two persons in Undertown who adore daffodils."  
"You do?" - Ondine asked - "Who are those two?"  
"One of them is my father, but he cannot be the killer because he wouldn't have attacked me." - Francesca said - "The other person is Florian, my parents' gardener."  
"Francesca... Can you tell us where Florian lives?" - Paxton asked.  
"I don't know where he lives... But my father certainly does."  
Ondine and Paxton looked at each other and they already knew what to do. Ondine instructed Paxton to prepare himself for the task to come while she'd call the Mayor to get Florian's address.

Meanwhile, Noelle woke up with a pain on the side of her head. She winced and as she looked around, she saw that Florian was sitting at the table, finishing a sandwich and staring at her directly.  
"You're awake? Good. I made us some sandwiches." - he said - "You're surely hungry since yesterday."  
"I'd rather starve than eating anything you give me." - Noelle replied.  
"Too bad for you then." - Florian said and proceeded to eat the other sandwich - "I need you for a reason, Noelle. But so you can understand, I'll tell you a story. Once upon a time, in another world, two races ruled over the earth: humans and monsters…"  
And so, Florian told her the story about the war between humans and monsters, how the latters ended up in the Underground, and of course the tragic story of the Dreemurr family. He told her how the prince Asriel, and his adoptive human sister Chara, lost their lives. He explained Noelle about the dispute Asriel and Chara had before dying that had never been solved. But when the prince's consciousness got reincarnated into a flower, he realized that he had been wrong. He understood that in this world it was "kill or be killed", and so he adopted a new lifestyle.  
"And so, the former prince of the Underground renamed himself to Flowey and became a murderer." - Florian finished his story.  
"So... You think this story's about yourself...?" - Noelle asked - "But, uh… the twins had once mentioned that the Dreemurrs are today the Underwoods. You cannot be the prince, since you're not their son."  
"Don't you still get it?! Everything in this town is all fake!" - Florian exclaimed - "All of this… is merely an illusion!"  
Noelle knew she couldn't reason Florian. But she had an idea of how to survive longer. She knew that the best way to keep a psychopath at his calmest was to play along. So, Noelle decided to do just that.  
"You know… this story you and the twins tell me… It sounds so appealing, it has so many lovely characters, so now I think… that it would be nice if all those people actually were… my family." - Noelle said, managing a smile.  
"Are you saying that..." - Florian stood up from his chair and walked up to Noelle with a livid look - "...you __believe__ me?"  
"I do." - Noelle lied - "So please, Florian... no, Flowey... tell me me more about Fra-... about Frisk. Tell me about my mother."  
"I'll gladly tell you everything you want to know." - Florian said - "Your mother was the last human to fall in the Underground. There were six others before her that fell down, but none of them survived. But Frisk… she was different. Her SOUL had a lot of determination. I've never seen anyone with a so huge amount. Determination gave her the power to overcome death. She would never really die, no matter how many times I tried."  
"Is that why you stabbed Francesca?" - Noelle asked with a hint of anger in her eyes and tone - "To test her determination?"  
"No, that was merely an act of impulse. Just some memories resufracing." - Florian replied - "So, as I was saying, Frisk's SOUL was very powerful. Her power to overcome death… it's a power you inherited."  
"What?" - Noelle breathed out.  
"You're a hybrid Noelle, which means you have a special SOUL, wrought from the substance of a human soul and of a mosnter soul. Since your mother's SOUL held so much determination, yours does too." - Florian explained - "But that's not all... there's one thing I haven't mentioned yet. Since I was reborn as a flower, I am soulless."  
"Not a big surprise." - Noelle muttered under her breath.  
Noelle really hoped that Florian would keep talking the longest. Her sixth sense told her that someone would find her soon. So, she had to stay strong until then, she had to make it alive.  
"I'm empty, I've craved for a filling for years." - Florian pursued - "Taking a monster SOUL doesn't work, because it disappears right after death along with the body. A human's soul doesn't really work either, I've already tried. So, what I need is…"  
Florian placed his hand over Noelle's chest, which made her gasp. She felt her fear rise again.  
"...__your__ SOUL." - Florian said with a smirk - "A hybrid SOUL would be the most compatible with me. It has enough determination to keep living after death, but also enough monster magic within to give me a better monster form. Do you understand now? I want your SOUL to replace my old one, and maybe… maybe I can become Asriel again."  
"No... no..!" - Noelle shook her head as she panicked - "But then why... why didn't you kill me right away?"  
"Because this world works differently from ours! Here, SOULs aren't made visible because there's no magic! Our bodies have all been affected by the De-Code in a way that we lost all our abilities and our SOULs became invisible and intangible! But you, you're an exception, because your physical properties hadn't been altered! I just need to find a way to summon your SOUL so I can rip it out of your body!"  
Noelle wasn't sure if she should be naturally scared or if she should be relieved - after all, there was no way he could "summon" her soul and so his plan was simply unrealizable. But a few moments later , as Florian was muttering, Noelle smiled. She looked up at her abductor and said:  
"You know, you were right about one thing: I am very determined. Because since yesterday, I kept trying to free myself from the ropes. And now…"  
All of sudden she stood up on her (still tied) feet and punched Florian on the face, making him fall as he didn't expect that.  
"...I'm free." - Noelle said showing her released hands.  
True, her skin burned painfully now, but at least her hands were free from the knots. Florian stood up, but Noelle knocked him out before he could do anything to her. Noelle used the opportunity to untie her feet and then rushed to the front door. But the door was locked, she couldn't go out. Then, as Noelle got a glance through the window, she could see… Paxton. He was walking across the grassland in the direction of the house. __"I knew someone would find me…!"__ \- Noelle thought. Without thinking, she rushed to the kitchen and luckily the rear door was left unlocked. Relieved, she ran across the garden and called for her friend:  
"Paxton...!"  
"Noelle!" - the policeman rushed in her direction.  
But at that moment, the front door flew open and an irritated Florian quickly caught up on Noelle. He grabbed her by the back of her hair, and Paxton quickly grabbed his gun. But then, Florian brought a knife under Noelle's throat. Paxton froze in place.  
"Don't make a move, or I'll slice her throat." - Florian threatened.  
Paxton looked at a trembling and terrified Noelle and after a moment, lowered his gun. He couldn't take the risk. Florian laughed.  
"Haha! You'd never take the risk if an innocent's life is in danger, right? You just don't have the guts!"  
"Maybe not... but Toby does!" - Paxton replied with a defiant tone.  
The officer then whistled and the dog Toby jumped from behind a bush and bit Florian's leg. Florian shouted in pain and released Noelle out of reflex. The dog then blocked Florian on the ground, his muzzle close to the guy's face. Toby growled intimidatingly. Paxton rushed to the lying criminal and handcuffed him.  
"You are under arrest, Florian!" - he said.  
After he recited the Miranda Warning and after he called for his colleagues, he knelt down to the shaking Noelle.  
"Noelle..? Are you injured in any way?" - he asked gently as he put his hands over her shoulders.  
"Not... not really... just my head and... my hands." - Noelle showed him the burned skin on her palms and wrists (due to the effort made to loosen the knots), then she broke into tears - "I... I'm so glad you came…! I knew someone would come, but I feared that I wouldn't make it alive until then…!"  
Paxton pulled her into a hug, allowing her to cry into his shoulder.  
"It's okay, Noelle, it's okay... You are okay... He won't harm you anymore, it's all over now." - he tried to calm her down.  
Noelle just nodded while she kept crying and they stayed there for awhile until the arrival of the other police officers.

* * *

**A/N: I told you to beware the gardeners, guys. **

**So, here you know now the motive of the 'Daffodil Killer'. He craves for Noelle's soul. He had been craving for it for years actually, but with "the smiling trashbag" around, he just never had the opportunity to get too close to Noelle.**

**Fun fact, I actually can never decide whether I prefer Chara to be a boy or a girl. I like both possibilities. Back when I was still writing the story, I've originally almost made Chara a boy. But in the end, I decided to make them a girl. Because since Frisk's a girl/woman in this story, and considering that Flowey/Asriel kinda confounds the two, so it makes more sense. **


	15. Chapter 15

****Here's another chapter! Expect some flashbacks. It's also pretty much a Papyrisk-centered one. Enjoy!****

* * *

**_**14 years before the De-Code**_**

Dr Gaster was watching at his monitor, making calculations. He found out that there existed a possibility to "de-code" things or people from the world he lived in into another, a different one. Interested, Dr Gaster decided to study that possibility a bit closer; he wanted to predict how would de-coding the entire Underground and its inhabitants look like. Gaster watched the 3D model representing the Underground getting depixelized into nothingness. The text on the side was describing it all, and Gaster could get that it was as if the world was getting absorbed by darkness. His magical hands were writing down the observations on his clipboard, as in a journal entry.  
__  
Entry n°17__  
__Dark, darker, yet darker. The darkness keeps growing. The shadows cutting deeper. Photon readings negative. This next experiment seems very, very interesting.  
__  
Then, Gaster paused. That possibility truly was tempting. But… could he really do this? Could he doom all those innocent people to collective amnesia just so he could forge himself a new life? Was he capable to go so far? He'd already done so many bad things, hence why he was sort of "exiled". But could he cross the line? With a sigh, Dr Gaster pulled out of a drawer one of his old files regarding the 1-S and 2-P project. There was a picture of the two skeletons, a screen-shot of one the videos recorded by the hidden camera in the cell. Gaster looked at his former test subjects, asking himself the same question again. Could he really go that far, to make the De-Code reality?  
"What do you two think?" - he said with a certain irony, looking at the picture.  
His magical hands, out of reflex, wrote down the question.

**_**Present day**_**

Florian had been arrested, after what he was brought to the police station. He was acting completely agitated, so Ondine needed to ask the help of the Officer Doug, a muscularily built man, to help taking him to the cell. Noelle was brought to the police station too, so she could do her testimony. Alicia arrived there to provide her some medical attention. Noelle's hands really hurt. Alicia checked at first if there were no other injuries, then she proceeded to apply some ointment on the damaged skin of Noelle's hands. Noelle winced, as the contact did hurt.  
"S-sorry…" - Alicia said - "But it has to be done. Then, you'll obviously have to wear some gloves at work, to permit your skin heal properly. B-but why did you move your hands so much if the knots were so tight?"  
"I had to, I couldn't let that psycho kill me." - Noelle replied.  
"Right... It was such a dumb q-question, huh..?" - Alicia said nervously.  
"It's okay. I suppose we're all shocked and need to process the events here."  
Alicia nodded and kept applying the ointment. Ondine approached the two at that moment and informed:  
"When you'll be done, I'd like to hear your testimony, Miss Doe." - the seargent said.  
"Alright…"  
Ondine watched how Alicia treated the injured skin and after a moment, she commented with a playful smirk:  
"The way you're rubbing her hands is so gentle, and your hands moves are so smooth and elegant. I wonder how this feels like."  
Alicia stopped and within seconds, her face became as red as a tomato. Noelle's eyes rounded, surprised to hear what she just heard. __"Is the seargent flirting with Alicia…?"__ \- she thought - __"...And in my presence? It's so awkward…"__ Alicia didn't dare to look at Ondine as she spluttered her answer.  
"M-maybe… It's... it's just my j-job to be c-careful, hehe… B-but th-there are much more s-skillful d-doctors out th-there…" - she said, then took some bandages and proceeded to wrap them carefully around Noelle's hands and wrists.  
Soon, Alicia was done with treating Noelle's hands, and so the victim could tell her story to the seargent. Once they were done with the testimony, Noelle exited the office to be met with a relieved Fran, who immediately wrapped her arms around her.  
"I'm so glad you're okay…" - Francesca breathed out - "I was so scared for you."  
"I can imagine." - Noelle replied as she returned the hug.  
Fran then pulled away and the two women exchanged a smile of relief. They walked long the corridor to reach the exit, but at that moment Sam and Piper entered the building and rushed towards Noelle. Apparently, they had been informed. Noelle didn't have the time to say anything as the twins hugged her tightly.  
"Noelle, we were so scared when the police told us what happened!" - Piper exclaimed with an anxious expression - "Why are there bandages on your hands? What happened to them? Did Florian do this to you..?"  
"Hey, hey, calm down." - Noelle rubbed Piper's arm in a calming manner - "I'm okay, see? My hands hurt because of trying to get free from the ropes, which I succeeded by the way. But it'll pass in a couple of days."  
"Good..." - Piper breathed out then hugged Noelle again, even tighter this time.  
"Uh, Noelle…" - Sam started hesitant - "Are you… angry with me? I mean, for our last talk?"  
"What? No, of course I'm not angry." - Noelle reassured the boy and after a pause, she said - "Look, maybe I overreacted. I saw what actual madness looks like. And you look nothing like that. Not that you mustn't be careful when you venture in fantasies, but… I shouldn't have asked you to give up on that story you love so much. I apologize for that."  
Sam nodded, after what Noelle gently took his hand in hers and gave it a gentle squeeze, before pulling him into a hug too. Dr Gaster was standing a bit further in the corridor, watching how his children shared the moment with their mo-... with Noelle. He turned his gaze away for a moment and wondered when was the last time he and his children had hugged like that. __"You two have grown so close to her…"__ \- Gaster mused - __"We used to be close too, once. Sam, Piper… What happened to us?"__ Gaster then got pulled out of his trance when Noelle walked up to him with the twins.  
"I won't steal them from you for any longer." - Noelle said.  
"I see that despite your traumatizing experience, you didn't lose your common sense." - Gaster commented flatly - "Which means your cerebral functions are still intact."  
"Haha, very funny." - Noelle replied as flatly - "Anyway, I'm going home now. So good evening Dr Gaster, Sam, Piper."  
The twins nodded to her with a smile. Noelle walked three steps away until stopping and turned around again.  
"Dr Gaster?"  
"I thought you were leaving, Miss Doe." - Gaster remarked, raising an eyebrow.  
"Thank you." - Noelle said a bit awkwardly - "For bringing the kids here. I mean, you didn't have to, but you did."  
"I didn't do this for you." - Dr Gaster said, his voice unreadable.  
"Thank you anyway."  
Noelle gave him a very discrete smile, before turning around and leaving the police station building. Gaster stood there for a moment, not sure what to think. He didn't like when Noelle was doing… this. Just... why did she have to act like this? To give him shadows of kindness? (It wasn't a big surprise though, considering her "origins".) Sam and Piper were looking at Gaster curiously.  
"Dad…? Are you okay there?" - Piper asked.  
"Uh? Yes, just thinking. Okay, let's go back home now." - Gaster said.  
He and the twins went out of the police station. Francesca had been meanwhile talking with Ondine and Paxton, who explained the story, reassured her that Noelle would be alright. Fran decided that she'd still encourage her friend to talk about the incident, so she would feel as good as she could inwardly. Ondine then returned to her tasks as she still had to prepare herself to interrogate a psychopath, and Fran said to Paxton:  
"Well, I shall go home too now. See you around."  
She was about to go, but Paxton stopped her before she could even fully turn around.  
"Wait..!" - he exclaimed a bit loudly, getting a curious look from Fran - "I... Now that the killer had been caught, I'll have more free time. And so I wondered if you and I could maybe have some good time together at some nice place…?"  
"Is it… like a date?" - Francesca asked.  
"Well… It's up to you! It doesn't have to be a date if you don't want it to be, because I'm a person with principles and I would never force you into a date if you don't want to! So, it can be just a hang-out if you so prefer!" - Paxton said with his usual enthousiasm, but then his tone slightly lowered - "But whatever it is, I'd like to spend a good evening with you. But what do __you __think about my offer?"  
"I... uh..."  
Francesca suddenly felt nervous. __"Oh no… A choice to make again… I don't like it, I cannot just give an answer straight away..!" __Fran never felt at ease when it came to make important choices, and this choice wasn't an exception. True, she enjoyed Paxton's company, but what would happen next if she accepted that date/hang-out?  
"Uh... I don't know what to say..." - Fran muttered nervously.  
"Look, you don't have to answer now, I only suggested." - Paxton tried to ease her - "But if you ever feel like spending an evening with the great guy that I am, just let me know!"  
With those words, he gave Fran his number written down on a small paper. Fran accepted it with a shy smile, with a nervous feeling. She then thought that she'd ask Noelle for an advice later. __"Urgh… Why can't I just accept to go out with him like a normal person?"__ \- Francesca asked herself - __"I'm doomed to stay single…"__

**_**Three months before the De-Code**_**

Frisk, Papyrus and their almost three years old daughter Noelle were having a walk in the forest of Snowdin. Even though it had been years that the barrier was broken, some monsters preferred to sometimes return to their old homes in the Underground for holidays. That was what Frisk, Papyrus and Sans did every year for the period of Gyftmas.  
"So, what do you think, Papyrus?" - Frisk asked - "Should we celebrate Gyftmas in the New Home, or at your and Sans' old house like the last year?"  
"WELL, AS MUCH AS I LOVE OUR OLD HOUSE, YOUR MOM PROBABLY WANTS US TO CELEBRATE ALONG WITH HER AND KING ASGORE!" - Papyrus remarked.  
"That's true, my parents must feel lonely at holidays since you and I live together…" - Frisk mused - "I think we should celebrate with them this year, then. But only if you're okay with that."  
"WHY WOULDN'T IT BE OKAY? I'M OKAY WITH EVERYTHING THAT PLEASES YOU, HUMAN WIFE!" - Papyrus said as he wrapped his arm around Frisk - "IF YOU WANT TO CELEBRATE GYFTMAS AT NEW HOME, THEN WE'LL DO JUST THAT!"  
"But you said you love your old house. I thought that having holidays there makes you happy." - Frisk said - "You shouldn't spoil me too much, Papyrus."  
"BUT SPOILING MY TWO FAVOURITE LADIES IS MY JOB!" - Papyrus protested as he took Noelle in his arms.  
Noelle giggled a bit as her father lifted her, then she let her head rest on his chest, feeling tired. Papyrus gently rubbed his teeth against the top of Noelle's head, this being his way to "kiss". Frisk smiled at the sight. Papyrus always did everything to make her and their daughter happy. But Frisk couldn't help but feel a bit guilty. Because of the knowledge of what Papyrus went through in the True Lab, Frisk would sometimes feel like she should do more for him.  
"HUMAN WIFE, I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT!" - Papyrus pulled Frisk out of her thoughts - "YOU SHOULDN'T."  
"How did you guess…?" - Frisk asked.  
"YOU WERE RUBBING MY RIGHT HAND."  
And he was right. When those thoughts crossed Frisk's mind, she'd usually squeeze or rub the hand on which the metal plate was drilled. This was an unconscious gesture.  
"Sorry. I couldn't help it." - Frisk said quietly.  
"FRISK... MY PAST IS MY PAST, YOU SHOULDN'T BURDEN YOURSELF WITH THE THOUGHTS ABOUT IT." - Papyrus said seriously - "YOU WANT ME TO BE HAPPY, BUT I AM WHEN YOU, NOELLE AND SANS ARE! SO, IF YOU WANT TO MAKE ME HAPPY, YOU MUST BE HAPPY AND LET ME MAKE YOU HAPPY!"  
"That's a lot of 'happy' in one phrase." - Frisk giggled - "Well, I'll try doing that, Papyrus."  
"PLEASE DO! AND AS FOR THE GYFTMAS CELEBRATION, IT'S BETTER TO DO IT AT NEW HOME! AFTER ALL, SINCE NOELLE'S BIRTHDAY IS THE NEXT DAY, ASGORE AND TORIEL WILL SURELY APPRECIATE TO HAVE US AROUND!"  
It was true, Noelle was born the day after Gyftmas, so the family had two days of celebration.  
"Hey, I haven't thought about it that way. It's true it's more practical; Mom and Dad wouldn't need to walk all the way from New Home to Snowdin. Okay, you won. We'll celebrate at my parents' place."  
"NYEHEHE! I KNEW I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WOULD CONVINCE YOU!"  
He managed to take a proud posture, even with his daughter sleeping in his arms. Frisk smiled, then stood on her tiptoes and kissed Papyrus on his teeth. The spouses then held each other's hands and proceeded to walk back home. The little family didn't notice that they have been observed the whole time. Hiding behind a tree, Gaster watched how they receded. The scientist had received the photo of Noelle from Papyrus a couple of days ago. And so, for a reason he couldn't explain, he wanted to see. Gaster saw how happy his former subject was with the human and his daughter. Gaster saw how affectionate Papyrus and Frisk seemed to be towards each other, and how much they loved their daughter. Gaster also noticed that Frisk and Noelle liked to wear the Delta Rune robes. The sight of all this filled his soul with a certain bitterness. This made him realize just how much he lost due to his own actions. He realized that everyone he knew moved on in their lives perfectly without him around. __"They're perfectly happy without me…"__ \- he thought as Papyrus, Frisk and Noelle progressively disappeared from his sight. Gaster realized that while they all moved on, he never would. His life was stuck. And there was nothing he could do about it now. __"Wait… there ____is____."__ He remembered the theory of the De-Code he had been working on before. It was his only chance. Composing himself, he rushed away, deciding that he'd start on working on his own De-Code right away.

**_**Present day**_**

It was the evening, Noelle was sitting in her bed and reading a book. Francesca suddenly entered the room, looking nervous. Noelle looked up at her friend and asked what was wrong.  
"Paxton called me on a date." - Fran said straight-forwardly.  
"What? He did?" - Noelle asked in mild surprise before smiling - "That's wonderful! I knew there was a spark between you two!"  
"Don't get too excited, I didn't give him a concrete answer yet."  
"Uh? But why not...? I thought you enjoyed to be around him."  
"I do..! But you know me, I'm anxious everytime there's an important decision to take. I'm a bit scared, because… I don't know how things will change after I go on the date with Paxton!" - Francesca confessed.  
"It's true that falling in love can be scary." - Noelle started, then she saw how Fran got embarrassed - "Don't deny it, you __are__ in love with Paxton! So, as I said, it can be scary. But you won't be able to fully experience love if you don't give it a try."  
"But he and I don't know each other for that long..." - Fran hesitated - "Alright, I might like Paxton… a lot. So, you really thing I should go on a date with him?"  
"You definitely should." - Noelle said with a nod.  
Francesca, after a short moment, took her cellphone and proceeded to dial Paxton's number. After a few moments, Paxton answered the call. Noelle could hear just one side of the conversation, but she quietly encouraged her friend.  
"Hi, Paxton. It's Francesca." - Fran said with a nervous smile - "I uh… about your offer to go out for an evening together… I think that I, uh… I'd like that too..!"  
Fran then smiled widely, so Noelle could guess that it was because Paxton was having a very enthousiastic reaction.  
"Tomorrow...? Yes, it works fine for me!" - Fran said - "Yes, good night to you too, Paxton. And see you tomorrow."  
As the phone conversation ended, Fran couldn't help but smile but then she saw how Noelle was staring at her with a satisfied smirk, which made her feel embarrassed.

Meantime, at Sancho and Paxton's flat, Sancho was pulled out of his slumber as he heard his brother shout.  
"I'm going on a date with Francesca!"  
"What... really?" - Sancho's eyes roundened - "You mean, with Francesca Underwood?"  
"Of course! Is there another Francesca you know?" - Paxton pointed out.  
"Right... So, you two are like together now?" - Sancho asked with a forming smile.  
"Not really, I told Francesca it was up to her if it'll be a date or not." - Paxton explained.  
"Don't worry, bro. I'm pretty sure she likes you too."  
Sancho was sure that she did, because of their life before the De-Code. He hoped that everything would go well and that things would start to go back into its right places.

The next day, Fran spent some time to figure out what she'd wear. She didn't want to wear something too simple, but nothing too "provocative" either. Noelle remarked that Paxton already saw her bleeding and in an hospital gown, so she didn't need to worry about how she'd look like. But Fran still wanted to make a minimal effort. Then, she remembered about an outfit that felt perfect for her situation. But she left it in her old room of her parent's house, so she had to go there to collect it. And so, Francesca went to her parents' house, where she was warmly greeted by them. She saw that Gaster was there too, probably to discuss some business with her father. Francesca soon found what she was looking for in her room. She put the outfit in a paper bag and went down the stairs. She and her parents chatted a little.  
"So, you came here just to get some clothes?" - Anderson asked his daughter - "I thought you had plenty of them at your place."  
"Yes, but none of those felt right." - Fran replied without thinking, but then regretted it.  
"Oh, are those clothes for a date perhaps?" - Taylor asked.  
"Uh... maybe?" - Francesca replied awkwardly.  
Gaster, who was reading some papers a bit further, raised his head almost unnoticeably. A date? Would it be with…?  
"It's with that policeman, right?" - Taylor asked with a growing smile - "Don't tell me, I __know__ it's with him!"  
"...Yes, I'm going out with Paxton this evening." - Fran admitted shyly.  
"My girl's really a grown up now!" - Taylor clasped her hands together.  
"Be careful, though. Don't get involved in some nasty business at your first date!" - Anderson advised his daughter seriously.  
"Dad…" - Fran sighed.  
Gaster didn't feel well as he heard the little family talk on the couch. __"No... If Francesca and Paxton go on a date, they'll grow even closer and it might trigger something within them, which is dangerous for me."__ Soon, Anderson and Taylor went to the kitchen to make some tea for their daughter and for Gaster. As Francesca was sitting alone in the couch, she heard Gaster speak up from where he was, still sitting at the table, his face in papers.  
"So, you and Paxton are going on a date? It could've been expected, considering he sort of saved you."  
"Y-yes, probably." - Fran replied - "But I'm not going out with Paxton just because he saved me, it's because we enjoy each other's company."  
"I don't doubt that." - Gaster remarked - "But do you think it's a good idea, though?"  
"I don't see why not...?"  
"Paxton is a policeman. This means he works for __the town__, you surely know that."  
"But what does it have to do with us?" - Fran frowned.  
"Your father is mayor of the town. Now, ask yourself: what will happen if your romance goes wrong? Paxton could lose his position at the police, and you'd have to feel guilty about it."  
"You don't think my father would revoke Paxton because of that, do you...? He's better than that."  
"He can be overprotective. Not as much as your mother, but still." - Gaster pointed out - "He'd go far when it comes to his child."  
"He's my father, but he's also a mayor. He'd have to do the fair thing." - Fran said.  
"True, I'm probably just overthinking it." - Gaster used a lighter tone - "Far from me to teach you how to live, you're an adult woman."  
"R-right." - Fran replied.  
At that moment, Taylor and Anderson returned with the tea.

A couple of hours later, Fran was looking at herself in the mirror. She was wearing a dress-like blue sweater, with a pink belt at her waist, black leggings and dark brown long boots.  
"The outfit's nice and you look great." - Noelle complimented her friend.  
"Thanks... What will you be doing tonight? It's not good for you to stay alone after… what happened." - Fran said with concern.  
"Yeah, the thought of it makes me shiver." - Noelle admitted - "But it's not as if I have a choice but to spend a lone evening."  
"I think you should go see Nathan." - Fran advised - "He's pretty lonely, so if you go see him it'll do good for both of you. Oh, and ask him to make you listen for a relaxation track he mixed. You'll feel much better after that."  
"Okay, if you say so."  
At that moment the doorbell rang. It was Paxton who came for Fran so they could go to their date/hang-out. Noelle wished them to have a good evening, after what the "couple" left the building. Francesca wasn't much surprised to see that Paxton's car was a bright red one, it fit the man's personnality. When Paxton started the car, Fran couldn't help but remark:  
"It's nice to see you without your uniform for once."  
"That's because we meet in much nicer circumstances tonight!" - Paxton stated the obvious, but with usually enthousiastic tone - "You look so neat! A good choice of clothing is the way to show that you care."  
"P-probably..." - Fran replied shyly - "So, where are you taking us?"  
"You'll see, it's a wonderful place I love a lot!" - Paxton said - "I've been there only a couple of times, with my brother and the seargent Ondine. Unfortunately, Ondine's way too loud for that place and Sancho, he… is probably too silent. He fell asleep and missed most of the fun."  
"How is your brother doing, by the way?"  
"He finally found a job, and he's doing the night guard at the moment we speak. I just hope he won't fall asleep and mess up."

It was true, at that same time, Sancho was doing the rounds at the powerhouse. But his true goal was to find any curious place, which would permit him to prove Noelle that the De-Code was real and blow up Gaster's cover. Sancho was alone and he had the entire night to find anything substantial. He walked up to a broom closet and thought that it was probably the best place to hide something important, because barely anyone would go there. He opened the door and after a first check, the closet seemed pretty normal. But then, Sancho noticed that one spot on the floor felt different. It creaked ever so slightly. Sancho knelt down on his knees and studied the floor. After a moment, he concluded that there was a layer on the floor to hide a secret passage. All he had to do was to get rid of that layer. __"Pretty simple, really."__ Sancho stood up and went looking for some tools.

Paxton and Francesca arrived at their destination. Fran looked up at Paxton curiously.  
"A karaoke bar?"  
"Yes, I love this place due to its good ambience!"  
"You must have a good voice. But I'm not sure my voice is fit to sing…" - Fran said.  
"Don't worry about that, you can do anything if you just believe in yourself!" - Paxton reassured her as the two sat down at a table - "I'm sure you'll do great if you try! But if it makes you too much uncomfortable, I won't force you…"  
"I might try… but after you only." - Francesca said with a shy smile.  
The two ordered their drinks and chatted for a while. They talked about different topics, about what they liked or disliked. Fran listened with interest when Paxton was telling about his dream to become an Investigator and how hard he always worked to reach his goal. But Fran also figured that Paxton chose to become a policeman for noble reasons. __"He is a passionate man with a big heart."__ \- she thought to herself. After a moment, Paxton decided that it was time for him to display to Fran his beautiful singing voice. He chose the song "All I want for Christmas is you". From the very first notes, Francesca couldn't help but stare at him in awe, amazed by his voice. When he spoke, he tended to be a bit loud, but ironically his singing voice sounded smooth. And the song choice made her slightly blush, because she couldn't help but think about it as a hidden message. But she quickly chase that thought away, and focused on Paxton's voice. His singing voice expressed all his personality traits: passion, enthousiasm, dedication, pride, and a certain innocence… __"All of these traits make a so perfect mix."__ \- Fran mused - __"Paxton is a unique man."__ Soon, the song ended and Fran applauded with a smile of wonder on her face.  
"You have a wonderful singing voice, Paxton." - Fran compliemented him with honesty and a wide smile.  
"Such a genuine compliment!" - Paxton said with a slight blush - "Now your turn! I'd like to hear your singing voice."  
"A-alright... But my voice isn't as good as yours." - Francesca warned as she stood up.  
"Worry not, Francesca! You'll do great! If you don't believe in yourself, so believe in me who believes in you!" - Paxton encouraged her.  
His encouragement for some reason made Fran feel more confident and filled her with… determination? Paxton made Francesca feel stronger, he made her want to be worthy his time. There was also a feeling of familiarity when she was around him and it was enough to put her more at ease.

At the powerhouse, Sancho managed to remove the part of the floor layer that was above a door that led to a secret floor. It was obvously locked, but Sancho already had the key. He took the keys Sam and Piper gave him and one of them fit. There were stairs which Sancho didn't waste the time to descend. It led to another locked door. A second key unlocked it without any issue. Sancho entered the room and as he looked around, he thought: __"Finally…! This is it, this is where Noelle can save us!"__ There was a computer with other equipement, but the entire system could be turned on by inserting a third special key. __"Only Noelle can do this."__ \- Sancho noted - __"I'll have to tell her soon… And then, we'll finally be free."__ Soon, they would all be free from the illusion. Sancho realized he couldn't stay down here for too long, since he'd have to conceal the hole he made before anyone of the powerhouse staff returned.

It was pretty late when Paxton and Francesca returned to the building she lived in. On all their way back, Paxton reassured her that she performed well. Fran giggled and half-joked:  
"Come on, admit that I suck. My voice is too quiet."  
"Just __a little__ quiet, but it sounded sweet!" - Paxton said - "You're just not used to sing, but if you keep practicing, you'll sound even better each time! But I actually liked your singing, because it sounded so… like __you__."  
The two were standing near the front door of the building now. Fran felt flattered by what Paxton just said. She wasn't sure what to reply, but it wasn't a problem because her friend had something else to say.  
"Francesca... I know, I told you it's up to you if this was a hang-out or a date. But I cannot help now to think that... I'd like it to be a date. Because you're a nice person to be around with, and… when I'm with you, it feels so natural and __familiar__." - Paxton confessed - "When we first talked in the hospital, I thought that I know you. Of course, back then I didn't know you. I know that I know you, but I also know that I don't know you. Or rather, I know that I know you, even if I don't know you… You know?"  
"I think I know..." - Francesca replied.  
They didn't even realize that they were holding each other's hands. Then, Paxton slowly leaned to Fran for a kiss. Fran's heart missed a beat, she wanted this too so much. Their lips almost thouched…  
__"What will happen if your romance goes wrong?"__  
Francesca gasped as Gaster's earlier question suddenly popped up in her head, and she backed up, pushing on Paxton's chest to make him stop. Paxton was clearly surprised by this reaction.  
"D-don't...!" - Fran shook her head - "It's better if we don't... Tonight was just a hang-out between friends."  
"But... it seemed that you wanted the kiss too." - Paxton remarked - "Did I do something wrong?"  
"No, it's not you Paxton. It's me." - Fran said sadly - "I'm just not... You and I just won't work out. It'll be better for both of us if we remain good friends."  
"Why do you think so?"  
"Because... because I'll never reach your greatness, Paxton. And someday, I'll just hurt you. You'll have to bear the consequences and I'll have to live knowing that it's my fault. That's why it's better if you and I don't date." - Francesca said with a sad smile.  
"But you won't hurt me, I think you're great too!" - Paxton protested, but Fran shook her head in response - "But I suppose… if I offered you the possibility this evening to not be a date, I cannot just retrieve my words now. If you don't want us to be the way I wanted us to be, I'll respect that."  
"I'm really sorry, Paxton..."  
"No, it's alright Fran. As long as you're happy in your life, even if it's without me… I'll be happy for you too." - Paxton smiled at Fran, but sadness could clearly be seen in his eyes.  
Francesca nodded and then disappeared behind the door of the building. Paxton stood there for a long minute before sitting in his car and driving away. A bit further down the street, Gaster had been observing the scene from his own car. He had seen the almost-kiss and how Fran stopped Paxton before this could happen. In less than a moment, Gaster had tensed and relaxed. __"They parted ways without kissing… Francesca did hear my words then."__ \- Gaster thought - __"They will not remember, everything's in control."__ Dr Gaster then started his car to go back home, after what he suddenly winced. His right hand hurt.

Francesca returned to her apartement and was immediately greeted by Noelle. The latter seemed to be in a good mood.  
"Oh, Fran! You were right about Nathan's tapes, I could empty my mind and I relaxed so well that I almost saw stars! How was your date? Tell me everything!"  
"There's nothing to tell..." - Francesca fell on the couch with a devastated expression - "I friendzoned him."  
"What..? Why did you do that? I thought you liked him..." - Noelle asked with a confused and slightly shocked expression.  
"Please, Noelle... I really don't want to talk about it." - Fran said as her eyes filled with tears.  
Noelle, even though not understanding what was going on, sat down next to her friend and hugged her in a comforting manner.

* * *

**A/N: Francesca's anxiety of making choices wasn't a one-time thing that you've seen when she couldn't decide whether to leave her parental house or not. It's something she suffers of since the De-Code. As Frisk, she used to be more daring, but her alter-ego is more anxious and doesn't like taking risks. **

**The end of arc 1 is close now. From the next chapter, it's a straight line to its conclusion. So, whoever still reads the story, get ready! **


	16. Chapter 16

Sancho was pulled out of his daydreams about the times when he, his brother, and everyone else was happy. He heard Paxton being busy cooking in the kitchen, so he stood up from his bed and walked up to him.  
"Hey, bro." - he said - "You're doing ok?"  
"Good morning, Sancho!" - Paxton replied - "I'm alright… why do you ask?"  
"Bro, you were down when you returned home last night." - Sancho pointed out.  
It was true. When Paxton came home after his date with Francesca, he didn't have that usual life joy. This had surprised Sancho, since there wasn't much that could make Paxton this way. When Paxton explained that Francesca wanted to only be friends with him, Sancho got even more surprised. He remembered how determined Fran used to be in her past life; she would do anything in her power to get some happiness for herself or for those she cared about. And the attraction between her and Paxton was pretty obvious in this de-coded life, so she wouldn't simply back-up and friendzone him. So, Sancho guessed that something - or rather _someone_ \- made Francesca make that decision.  
"I'm okay, Sancho." - Paxton reassured, but didn't sound convincing - "Really… I mean, it's true I'm a bit disappointed that Francesca doesn't share my… feelings, but I cannot force her into it."  
"Come one, bro. Wouldn't you fight until the end to get what you so much deserve?"  
"That's not the same, Sancho. I might deserve to be loved by someone special, but Francesca deserves her happiness too. It's not just about me this time."  
"Pax..."  
"So, I'll leave her be. I can overcome this, brother." - Paxton tried to sound usually confident, but there was a subtle shake of his tone - "Besides, I still have you. I guess it's enough."  
_"You're bad at lying, bro._" - Sancho thought to himself - _"It's not enough, and it'll never be…" _  
"Okay, here's your breakfast." - Paxton gave his brother a plate with eggs - "I must go now, Ondine doesn't tolerate when someone's late."  
"It's not like you've ever been late for work, Pax." - Sancho commented.  
Soon, Paxton left the apartement. After Sancho ate his eggs, he made a decision. _"Today, I'll tell Noelle everything. And soon, Gaster's work will be undone, and my brother will be happy again."_

_**2 months before the De-Code**_

Asgore, Toriel, Frisk, Papyrus, Sans, Undyne were sitting around a round table after being called for an urgent meeting by Alphys, who said she discovered something alarming for their lives.  
"Gaster's preparing… what?!" - Asgore exclaimed shocked.  
"A _De-Code_. H-he wants to… uh… transport everyone from our w-world t-to another… where we'll… we won't… r-remember who we truly are and live with f-fake identities…" - Alphys explained.  
"And I thought he had already reached the bottom." - Toriel commented bitterly but somehow sadly.  
Alphys had by accident - when she had made a trip to her old lab in the Underground - discovered what Dr Gaster was working on. What she learned shocked her, and knowing that her ex-colleague wouldn't change his mind, she hurried to inform everyone about what was coming.  
"can we do something against it?" - Sans asked as his eye sockets turned dark.  
"N-no, I'm afraid we c-can't…" - Alphys shook her head - "He locked himself in now, a-and once the process will be launched, it'll be i-impossible to stop."  
"i can't believe this guy… now that we can finally live normally, he wants to ruin it for us." - Sans said with a dangerously low tone.  
"When… when will that happen?" - Frisk asked.  
"I... I cannot tell for sure, but… considering the antiquity of his researches and the current progress of his work, as well as the speed at which he works…" - Alphys spoke nervously.  
"Alphys, _when_?" - Asgore asked firmly as in an order.  
"...I'd say in a few weeks." - Alphys answered, and everyone looked shocked and alarmed at the same time - "I'm sorry…"  
"So, he locked himself in, huh? Can't we just break in and throw the guy out of his lab?!" - Undyne suggested.  
"That won't work… He installed a very performing security system! I tell you, it's by pure luck that I found the info…"  
"but there must be something that can be done!" - Sans exclaimed frustrated - "i always said that gaster wasn't punished enough for his crimes! and now, he's-"  
"SANS! IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT..! I THINK..." - Papyrus protested - "MAYBE PUNISHING HIM HARDER WOULD HAVE MADE THINGS EVEN WORSE."  
"you mean, you think it could be worse than this?!" - Sans exclaimed - "he's basically about to _reprogram_ us!"  
"BUT MAYBE WE CAN STILL TALK HIM OUT OF IT!" - Papyrus suggested - "MAYBE HE COULD CHANGE HIS MIND..."  
"W-well, considering the current progression of his w-work, I doubt he'll ever consider to abandon his project…" - Alphys shared her thoughts.  
"That's not reassuring, Alphys." - Frisk remarked, then sighed - "Noelle's only three, she still has a long life to live…"  
Asgore looked at his adoptive daughter with sympathy. Then, he turned to Alphys and asked with a sigh:  
"Do you know what Gaster planned for each of us?"  
"I... well... I'm very sorry, but… I don't know." - Alphys answered as she lowered her head - "All what I could read were the general effects of the De-Code. But there was nothing about the specific plans for each of our lives."  
Frisk and Papyrus exchanged a worried look, while Sans lowered his head as his eye sockets darkened again. The thought that the life of his family would be screwed up from the scientist's hands pissed him off, to say the least. He had to find some solution, there _had_ to be one.

**_Present day_**

Noelle was at Griffin's, serving her customers. She saw Gaster enter the cafe, so she hurried to him, not wanting to make him wait. Since he already didn't like her, Noelle always tried her best to serve him fast to not annoy him even more.  
"Hello, Dr Gaster. Black coffee as usual?" - Noelle asked.  
"Not this time, Miss Doe." - Gaster shook his head - "It's a bit late for coffee, so I'll take some tea instead."  
"Alright. It's coming." - Noelle replied before quickly disappearing in the kitchen.  
Gaster sighed and let his tired gaze travel around. He saw that the spot a few seats from him was unusually empty. That was where Sancho usually ate, so it was a bit odd to not see him there.  
"And it's not the first time, that is…" - Gaster remarked under his breath - "Did he finally get an actual life?"  
"What was that, Dr Gaster?" - Noelle asked as she was already back with a cup of tea.  
"I was just wondering where your friend disappeared." - the doctor replied - "Not that I care, but he'd always be around at that time of the day."  
"Oh, well that's because he got a job at the powerhouse." - Noelle explained.  
"At the…- what?" - Gaster's eyes widened.  
"The powerhouse. You know, the place that provides electricity to the town?"  
"I know what a powerhouse is, Miss Doe." - Gaster replied dryly - "I've just never thought a guy like Sancho would work there."  
"Why not? You shouldn't be prejudicial, Dr Gaster."  
"Whatever."  
Noelle returned to serve other customers, while Gaster sat there, staring at the bottom of his cup of tea, thinking. If Sancho all of sudden decided to get hired at the powerhouse, this could mean only one thing. And the thought of it didn't please Gaster a bit. So, when he finished his drink, he went in the direction of the building where the two brothers lived. When he found the apartement, he knocked at the door several times. After a few moments, Sancho finally opened the door. Like usual, he was messily dressed. Sancho's eyes had slightly roundened when he saw Gaster at his door, but quickly concealed it and said with a tired and ironic tone:  
"Oh, I don't think we called for a doctor. You came at the wrong address."  
"You know exactly why I am here, Sancho." - Gaster said firmly - "I know that you got a job at the powerhouse. Out of all places where you could work, you chose the powerhouse."  
"Yup. A problem with that?" - Sancho asked innocently - "Do you have some unsanitarities there to report?"  
"_The powerhouse_! You know what's going on around here, right?!" - Gaster demanded, progressively losing his calm.  
"I'm sorry doc, but I'm not pretty sure to follow."  
"Oh, you do follow. You're a good actor, but you can't fool me." - Gaster said as his breath became unsteady - "You want to destroy everything I spent months… no, _years_ to build! You always were the one to give me a hard time!"  
_"You say __I__ gave you a hard time? It was pretty much the other way round."_ \- Sancho thought.  
But Sancho concealed his thoughts well, so he replied:  
"You must've confused me with someone… Are you sure you're okay, doc? You don't look well, maybe you overworked. A few days off should do you good."  
"You really will fake ignorance until the end, won't you?" - Gaster asked.  
"Really doc, you don't look your best. You're too agitated… I advise you to go see a doctor. Oh, wait. You are the doctor! Hehe."  
"Keep your act up, but know one thing: I will fight to keep what's mine. I will not let you, or Miss Doe, take it away from me." - Gaster said with a dangerous tone - "Take it from me."  
"Whatever you say. But make sure to have some sleep first!" - Sancho replied with a wide grin.  
Gaster then walked away without bothering to answer. He had to take some action to not let Noelle undo his work. _"My children are what made her stay here."_ \- he mused - _"So, if I want her to leave, it's in fact pretty easy."_

**_1 month before the De-Code_**

"Are you sure it's going to work?" - Alphys asked Sans.  
"it must work. he's our only hope now." - the skeleton replied - "now we wait."  
The duo had dispersed some dog food in a track from Snowdin to the Ruins. They wanted to capture the Annoying Dog to ask him what they could do to save themselves from the De-Code. If there was anyone who knew, it was the Dog. But unfortunately, since the breach of the Barrier, finding him wasn't as easy, so they had to resort to desperate and trivial means like disperse food to attract him. _"i just hope he won't see the trap coming."_ \- Sans thought to himself - _"even though it's too obvious."_ Sans and Alphys waited for about thirty minutes, but nothing happened.  
"Sans, I'm starting to think he won't come…" - she said - "Maybe we should think of another plan?"  
"we have no time, alphys." - Sans replied - "we don't even know where to find him!"  
Suddenly, a voice from behind them said:  
"You know guys, if you wanted to talk, you could've just called me!"  
Alphys and Sans turned around and gasped in surprise as they saw the Dog sit there with an amused look in his eyes.  
"B-but... h-how did you...?" - Alphys tried to ask as her gaze travelled from the dog to the only entry to the Ruins.  
"This world is my creation, I can go from place to place knowing no limitations you do know." - the Dog replied - "I can basically go across the walls if I wish so!"  
"O-okay..."  
"anyway, we need you." - Sans said seriously - "our world is in danger and you're the only one who can help us."  
"It's Dr Gaster, he…" - Alphys started.  
"He's working on the De-Code, I already know." - the white dog interrupted her.  
"so, you must know what's about to happen to all of us! why don't you act to prevent this?" - Sans asked.  
"The De-Code is a powerful thing. Even I can't stop him from doing it." - the Dog replied with a sorry tone.  
Sans and Alphys exchanged a worried gaze. How so he couldn't do anything? Was all hope lost then? Sans looked back at the Dog and exclaimed with a rising anger and frustration:  
"but you're the true master of this world, dog!"  
"I maybe created this world, but I have no control over others' actions." - the Dog explained calmly.  
"So... there's… there's really n-nothing we can do…? There must be… some way, r-right…?" - Alphys asked with despair.  
The Dog didn't answer anything as he lowered his head, avoiding the two monsters' gazes. Sans immediately understood there was something else the Dog knew that they didn't.  
"there is a way to save us, right?" - he asked.  
"Yes..." - the Dog admitted with a nod - "But your brother and sister-in-law won't like it."  
"why? what is that thing we must do?"  
Sans grew anxious as he expected the Dog's answer. He felt he wouldn't really like it either.  
"None of us is powerful enough to undo the doctor's work. But one person is."  
"W-who is that person...?" - Alphys asked.  
"The child born from a human and a monster." - the Dog answered.  
"you mean..?" - Sans left his question unfinished.  
"The only way to save us from the De-Code is to send Noelle away." - the Dog revealed seriously - "We must send her to that other world before the De-Code affects us all."  
A silence followed. Sans was the one to break it, as he lowered himself so his dark gaze could meet the dog's one.  
"you must be messing with us, right?"  
The Dog shivered slightly. Even though he basically had nothing to fear from anyone, Sans' dark gaze was still very intimidating. No one liked to experience it on themselves.  
"I know how it sounds like, but… your niece really is our only hope. It's due to the particular nature of her SOUL." - the Dog started to explain - "You see, the de-coding isn't perfect, there is a flaw. There will still be a tiny opening from the other world to ours. And only a being with a very powerful SOUL can enter it and undo the De-Code from here."  
"B-but why is it n-necessary to send Noelle away then?" - Alphys asked.  
"It's primordial that she doesn't get affected by the De-Code. From what I know, in the other world you cannot summon your SOULS like you can do it here. Her physical properties must remain unchanged, or undoing the De-Code just won't work."  
"so, it's basically either sending Noelle all alone to an unknown world, or living false lives for the eternity." - Sans commented - "None of those options sound good."  
"Some choices aren't easy, I admit. But if you decide to do as I said, you'll be sure to be saved someday." - the Dog replied.  
"B-but Noelle is only three...! How can we possibly doom her to this?!" - Alphys protested, then she turned to Sans with a sad expression - "Look, Sans… maybe we should consider to just… a-accept our fate?"  
"not you too, alphys!" - Sans' good eye flashed blue - "don't start talking like asgore and toriel! they gave up, but we decided that we wouldn't! are you really ready to spend your entire life with a false identity and forget everything that makes you who you are?! well, i am not!"  
"I'm s-sorry, Sans… B-but how could I possibly b-break their hearts like this? I... I just c-can't… Your brother and Frisk love Noelle so much… And they'll probably not accept this."  
It was true, and Sans couldn't argue against that point. Noelle was everything to them, so taking her away from them would wound their SOULS.  
"i know… i'll talk with papyrus and frisk about this." - Sans replied - "i'll take care to convince them, while you'll be working on the technical aspects with the dog."

**_Present day _**

Sancho was walking across the streets, wanting to go see Noelle at her apartement. He hoped he'd find her there. Since Gaster showed up earlier that day, he couldn't wait longer to reveal Noelle the truth. Sancho also realized how risky that was to tell her everything like this, when she was probably not ready, but it had to be done before Gaster took action. Sancho almost arrived to the building where Noelle lived and he passed next to the "Tasha's Shop". "Tasha's Shop" was a second-hand shop held by a woman who didn't speak English properly, often mixing Dutch words in her speech. (It had as consequence that many people had trouble to understand her.) Sancho stopped, as he noticed through the window… Noelle. _"Heh, I'm lucky today."_ \- he thought to himself. He could see Noelle picking up a few things and walk up to Tasha, the owner of the shop. Sancho entered the shop and heard the two women talk. What really surprised (and impressed) him was the fact that Noelle seemed to understand the words in Dutch.  
"Hoi! I'm Tasha, welcome to 'Tasha's Shop'!" - Tasha said with a bright tone - "Is _dat_ to _kopen_ or to _verkopen_?"  
"Mostly to buy." - Noelle replied - "I don't have many belongings to sell anything, hehe."  
"Oh, _dat _is_ goed_!" - Tasha commented with a slight excitement - "When I have lots of _geld_, I can pay college for my _zussen_." **  
**"Your... zussen..?" - Noelle repeated, then quickly recalled what that meant - "You mean, your _sisters_?"  
"Ja, ja, sisters!" - Tasha replied with a giggle - "My sisters want go to college, _maar_ not enough _geld_! _Dat_ is why I have _deze_ shop! _Maar_ I... err, 'digress'?"  
"Hehe, that's the correct word." - Noelle replied with a smile, then put the items she wanted to buy on the counter - "Here, I'll buy all this."  
"Ok, let's _zien_..." - Tasha said as she proceeded to count the total price - "It's 15,89 $!"  
"Here..." - Noelle gave Tasha the money, after what the seller put the things in a bag and handed it to her - "Thank you."  
"No, _dank u_!" - Tasha replied with a smile - "Come back again someday!"  
"I will. _Tot ziens_, Tasha_._" - Noelle said.  
Tasha's eyes shone as she heard a customer say her goodbye in her language. Sancho grinned at the sight. Satisfied, Noelle turned around and was surprised to see Sancho.  
"Oh, hi Sancho... you startled me." - Noelle said.  
"Heya, pal." - Sancho replied - "I didn't know you know Dutch?"  
"Just a little bit. I'm interested in languages, and so I once studied the basics of Dutch with a manual." - Noelle explained - "It's nice when you can apply your knowledge from time to time."  
Noelle exchanged another look with now a very happy Tasha. Noelle then asked Sancho what he was doing here, to which he replied that he wanted to talk to her.  
"It's very important, Noelle." - Sancho said seriously - "It cannot wait too long, so it'll be better if we go now."  
"Go where?" - Noelle asked with a slight frown.  
"It's a place I found in the powerhouse. It was hidden for years, but now I opened it again. Will you follow me there?"  
"Uh... It's a bit weird... Why would I need to see the powerhouse?"  
"Please, Noelle. Do you trust me?" - Sancho asked.  
After a moment, Noelle just nodded. She wasn't sure what was that Sancho needed to show her, but she decided to let him. Noelle was still a bit insecure about going to unknown places due to having been kidnapped by Florian recently. But on the other hand, Sancho had always been good towards her so far.  
It took about thirty mintues for them to reach their destination. When Sancho and Noelle made it to the hidden floor of the powerhouse, Noelle was confused as she really didn't understand why Sancho would need to show her this.  
"It's a... computer room?" - Noelle said.  
"No, those computers are in fact high-tech. It can open a portal to another world." - Sancho answered, then showed up the keys Sam and Piper found weeks ago at the graveyard - "But you're the only person who can activate it. The twins found those keys under the grave of Gaster's mother. They asked me to keep it safe until I estimate the time came. I think that today's the day to give it to you now."  
"Sancho... why did you bring me here?" - Noelle asked with an annoyed expression - "Does it, by any chance, have something to do with Sam and Piper's book?"  
"Yes, it does." - Sancho answered, but as Noelle put her head in between her hands, he pursued - "I know how it all sounds. I know you think it's some delirium, but it's not. Everything the book says is true, it all actually happened. The book is our history, it's our past. It's _your_ past, Noelle."  
"Okay, so... the twins and you want to make me see the story as my past. The question why my parents abandoned me tormented me for years. But wanting to get that answer doesn't mean I'll accept anything and everything as being the truth. Because what you want me to believe in just _can't_ be the truth."  
"What makes you say that?" - Sancho asked calmly.  
"Because... isn't it obvious? Because it goes against any logic, laws of nature and current scientific knowledge… There are no such things as monsters or magic. It just cannot be, and so the story from the twins' book isn't about me." - Noelle answered.  
"I know it sounds like craziness, but the story _is_ true. I can swear it is, I _remember_ it because it's my story too." - Sancho said in an almost begging tone.  
"There's the flaw to your story. Sam and Piper told me that nobody remembers who they are. I get that Florian's a madman, but _you_ Sancho…? So how can you remember your past life if the De-Code affected you too?" - Noelle asked.  
"I didn't always remember, Noelle. My memories progressively returned after you decided to stay in Undertown. As for the reason, I think… it might be the _karma_ of a sort. You showing up was a reminder that I broke a promise."  
"A promise? To whom...?" - Noelle asked with a frown.  
"A promise to myself." - Sancho answered with a sad sigh - "Did the twins tell you what Gaster did? Well, when my brother and I were freed from the lab, I promised myself that I would _not_ allow that my brother gets _ever_ hurt like he'd been hurt by Gaster."  
"But what does it have to do with me?"  
"Noelle, what if I told you I have all the answers you needed? What if I told you… that your parents never really abandoned you?"

**_1 hour and 30 minutes before the De-Code_**

Sans was staring at the ceiling of his room, thinking. It has been one month since the Dog told him what had to be done to undo Dr Gaster's work, and yet… he never could bring himself to tell Papyrus or Frisk about it. He had tried several times to approach the topic in one way or another, but just couldn't tell things how they were. "i can't do this any longer. i must tell them properly. i shall do this tomorrow." - Sans decided. The skeleton was trying to imagine how the conversation would go and even if the thought wasn't pleasant, Sans felt himself drift off to sleep. But then, he heard his phone vibrate on his night table. He took it in his hand and as soon as he read the message on the screen, his eyes widened. It was from Alphys.  
**"The De-Code started! D: Hurry, bring Noelle to Dog's room!" **  
Sweat formed on Sans' skull as he processed. _"oh no... i haven't told pap and frisk yet! what shall i do? what shall i do?"_ \- he panicked. After a few moments, Sans' mind was made up. He knew there was only one way. He jumped out of his bed and teleported himself in Noelle's room. (Which in fact used to be his room before.) He shook his niece awake, who looked up at him with a tired expression.  
"Uncle Sans...?" - she asked sleepily - "I want to sleep..."  
"i know, i know, but you must get up now. there's one place you and i must go." - Sans said in a hushed but urgent tone - "here, i'll help you to get dressed."  
In only a few moves, Sans changed his niece from her PJ's to her Delta Rune dress (sewed by Toriel) and wrapped a red scarf, similar to Papyrus', around her neck. Quietly, the two exited the house. Noelle looked around and saw that it was still night.  
"Sans... Why is still night?" - she asked.  
"i know, it's still night, but it's important." - Sans said - "we really have to go."  
"But... Mom and Dad say walk at night is bad." - Noelle said, not wanting to move from her spot.  
"yes, when going out alone or with strangers. but i'm your uncle, so it's okay." - Sans replied - "you... you know you can trust me, don't you?"  
Noelle nodded, but a bit reluctantly. Sans then gripped Noelle's hand tightly and they proceeded to walk in the direction of the Dog's room. Several times Noelle complained that she was tired and asked her uncle to not walk too fast.  
"i'm sorry, noelle. but we're almost there." - Sans replied.  
And soon, they arrived to their destination. Sans and Noelle entered the room, where they could see Alphys and the Dog.  
"Aunt Alphys..? Oh, cute dog!" - Noelle exclaimed as she saw the white dog.  
She rushed to him and started to pet him, something the Dog took pleasure in. Alphys used the opportunity to ask Sans:  
"Y-you came a-alone? Why didn't her parents come too? H-how did they take the news, by the way?"  
"alphys, there's no time for this." - Sans avoided the question - "how far did the de-code progress?"  
"It... it took approximatively sixty-five percent of our world." - Alphys replied.  
"ok, we must move now. dog, everything's ready?"  
"Yes, the device's activated. Now, I'll bark a specific regularity, after what Noelle will be transported to the other world, unharmed and her SOUL properties unaltered." - the Dog answered.  
"good." - Sans simply said, then approached his niece and said - "kiddo... look, i know what'll happen next might look scary. now, you'll go to a far away place, but it's a travel you must do alone. someday, you'll have to find and save us."  
"Not understand…" - Noelle said with a small voice.  
"i know you don't, but you will. just… know that we all love you a lot. and your mom and dad love you the most, please try to not forget that. i... i'm… i'm so sorry, noelle. i really am."  
Noelle was looking at her uncle confused, while Sans fought back a tear. He then nodded to the white dog and made Noelle stand next to the dog's computer. Sans retrieved by a few steps, standing next to Alphys, after what the Dog barked something that resembled the morse code. When he finished, Noelle progressively faded away from the sight. When she completely disappeared, Alphys let a few tears drop and Sans couldn't contain a sniff. After a moment, the two exited the Dog's room and they could see that the darkness was slowly progressing. In less tha thirty minutes, they would get consumed too. Leaving Alphys, Sans teleported himself back to Snowdin Town. A bit further from their house, he could see Papyrus and Frisk - they were calling for their daughter. They both looked alarmed, they called Noelle's name over and over. Sans felt cold inside and his SOUL felt very heavy. Papyrus noticed him, and exclaimed:  
"BROTHER! DID YOU GO OUT WITH NOELLE? SHE WASN'T IN HER ROOM, IT SCARED US TO DEATH! WHERE IS SHE?"  
"papyrus..." - Sans started, not sure how to tell him.  
"Sans, what happened?" - Frisk asked as she realized something was very wrong - "Where's Noelle?"  
"i... noelle is... well, a month ago i found out there was a way to eventually save us from the de-code. i just… didn't know how to bring this up to you, and…" - Sans wasn't sure how to continue this - "i... i'm very sorry, but…"  
"SANS... WHAT DID YOU DO?" - Papyrus asked as he grew scared on his turn.  
"Where is Noelle, Sans?" - Frisk repeated her earlier question.  
"i sent noelle to the other world, before the de-code would affect her, so she can eventually save us." - Sans answered.  
A deadly silence followed. For a few moments, only the wind could be heard. Then, Frisk asked with a shocked tone:  
"You did _**what**_?!"  
"i really wanted to tell you before, frisk. but i couldn't-"  
Frisk rushed to him dangerously and then grabbed Sans by his hoodie. Sans could tell she was very angry. And it was obviously true, Frisk's face was red and her grip on the collar was tight.  
"How could you?! How could you do that to her, to your own niece?! How could you do that to _us_?! You had no right to do this, Sans! _No right_!" - Frisk shouted at him loudly - "You… you…!"  
She really wanted to punch Sans hard at that moment. The only thing that prevented her from doing so was the knowledge he had only 1 HP. Frisk's body started to shake and after a few moments she released Sans and collapsed on her knees and let out a broken cry. She then burried her face in her hands as she was repeating her daughter's name in between sobs.  
"Noelle... no... no, please... Noelle...!"  
Papyrus wasn't dealing with the news well either. He was like frozen on his spot and stared at Sans while his eye sockets got filled with tears. He was shocked. Then, he finally managed to say:  
"WHY, SANS..? I CAN'T BELIEVE IT..."  
"papyrus, please try to understand..." - Sans said as he made one step towards him - "it was the only way to save us, it's our only chance."  
"YOU MUST HAVE TOLD US, SANS!" - Papyrus replied with a broken tone - "WE COULD HAVE TRIED TO FIND ANOTHER WAY!"  
"but that's the point, papyrus, there was _no other way_!" - Sans exclaimed - "we would've spend weeks trying to find a solution that that doesn't exist! _i did what was necessary!_ it was one sacrifice to make for a greater good!"  
"SANS... THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT _HE_ WOULD SAY…" - Papyrus replied, his voice quiet and sad.  
Sans froze and his eye sockets grew wide and dark, as the realization hit him.  
"s-sorry..." - was all he could say.  
Papyrus just shook his head as his tears fell down from his eye sockets. He then turned to Frisk, who was still crying in the snow, and walked up to her. Papyrus wrapped his arms around her, and Frisk immediately burried her face into his red scarf.  
"Papyrus... Noelle, she... she'll grow up thinking we abandoned her..."  
Papyrus couldn't find anything to say, so he just laid his head above Frisk's one, letting his tears stream down his cheeks. Sans was standing at a few steps from them, looking down in shame and remorse.

**_Present day_**

"That day Noelle, when I saw the look in my brother's eyes, I realized that I hurt him… in a worse way that Gaster ever did. By this, breaking that promise to myself." - Sancho finished to tell the story.  
Noelle wasn't sure what to think of all this. Sancho seemed sincere, and yet the story was too surreal to believe in. Noelle shook her head - she was a rational person, she couldn't possibly believe… this.  
"I could've believed the story if I was a kid. But I grew up a long time ago, Sancho."  
"Noelle... Well, I guess you need a more solid proof then." - Sancho sighed - "Alright, will you believe me if I tell you what you were wearing the day you were found?"  
"Could you really guess? Go ahead, impress me." - Noelle challenged him.  
"You were wearing a salmon-red dress with a purple symbol sewed in the front. The symbol represents a circle with wings on its sides, along with three triangles, one of them being upside down."  
Noelle's eyes widened. _"Impossible... There's no way he could've found out..!"_ \- Noelle thought - _"Even the newspapers never mentioned how I was dressed!" _  
"No... no, no, it's impossible...!" - Noelle shook her head with a shocked expression - "All of this just... can't be!"  
"It can be, please just open your mind and heart." - Sancho almost begged her.  
Noelle didn't reply as she brought her hand to her forehead. She was getting a headache. She wanted her seek for her own past to be finally over, but... she just wasn't ready. Not for _this_. Sancho guessed her thoughts, so he said:  
"I understand. You're not yet ready to accept. But it's alright. Just... take this."  
He handed her the keys. Noelle looked at the keys, then at him. Sancho took her hand and put the keys in her palm.  
"When you are ready, you know where to use those."  
Noelle looked down at the keys again, her head full of questions. None of this made sense, and she wondered what she should do next. She knew what Sam, Piper and Sancho expected from her, but did she want to do it? It was yet to be defined.

* * *

**A/N: I didn't make Sans do what he did because I wanted to display him as a jerk, or anything. It's mostly because I couldn't imagine Papyrus or even a pacifist Frisk to send their daughter into the unknown. Something was just wrong with the picture. However, it is something that Sans would more likely do. So, I decided to make a parallel with Gaster. It had been showed several times that Sans is not that different from him. **

**About Tasha/Temmie... I made her a Dutch-native (sort of) because "hoi" is a way to say "hi" in Netherlands. So, I thought that making her speak partially Dutch would work to make her sound "weird". But it's also an opportunity to show that Noelle cultivates her brain and that she loves languages. (So, when the right moment comes, it wouldn't feel as if it's out of "pure luck" that she knows... err, you'll see.)**


	17. Chapter 17

Dr Gaster was sitting in his study with Sam and Piper. He wanted to have a talk with them about a decision he took regarding them.  
"So, what is that important thing you wanted to tell us?" - Sam asked.  
"You know that I always wanted to raise you as great people." - Gaster started - "You are my children after all, and it only makes sense that the children of a genious get the best education. So, I thought that you should go to school elsewhere, in a more prestigious one."  
"You mean… outside of Undertown?" - Piper asked.  
"Exactly. I found a very good school for you, localized at a few hundreds miles from here. It has a very good reputation and-"  
"Wait, wait... 'hundreds miles'..?" - Sam asked with astonishement.  
"But how will we go to school so far everyday…?" - Piper asked with a confused look.  
"It's a boarding school, Piper." - Sam clarified for his sister.  
Piper's eyes widened as soon as she heard that.  
"A boarding school…? No! I don't want to go there!" - Piper exclaimed, alarmed - "I don't want to live alone!"  
"You will not be alone. You'll have roommates, and Sam will be with you. I took care to find a mixed school." - Gaster said calmly.  
"It's not what I meant! I don't want to leave our home…!"  
"You've always been too needy for my presence around, Piper." - Gaster sighed - "But you see, you'll eventually have to let go of my hand and grow up. The sooner you'll be put in a situation of independance, the better it is for your personal developement."  
"Does it actually have anything to do with Noelle?" - Sam asked.  
"I'm not sure to understand, Sam."  
"You do, and you just want to send us far away because Noelle's presence bothers you too much." - Sam said with a challenging tone - "If we're not around, she'll leave and so your work is preserved."  
"What did I tell you about your story? I already told you that it's just a story and that I'm not its character. Your persistence to see it as being the truth is concerning to say the least, and I hope that one year or two at the boarding school will arrange that." - Gaster said, his voice still calm and devoid of any emotions.  
"So you want to get rid of us just like this..." - Piper said, clearly upset - "You claim that you care, but if you did, you'd never do that to us…!"  
Piper started to cry and rushed out of Gaster's study, and Sam looked at his father angrily.  
"I'm not going to that school, Dad." - Sam said firmly.  
"You're not the one to decide, Sam." - Gaster replied as firmly - "You and your sister will go there, and it's out of debate."  
Sam just walked out of the study to join Piper.

Meanwhile, Sancho and Paxton were sitting at Griffin's. It was one of the rare times Paxton would agree to dine there with his brother. He was in fact a bit concerned for Sancho's wellbeing, and he didn't hesitate to share those concerns.  
"Brother, are you sure you're okay?" - Paxton asked - "You're not the same since the day before yesterday."  
"I'm fine Pax, really… Just need more sleep." - Sancho waived it off.  
"You already sleep a lot." - Paxton remarked with a stern look - "Even more than you should. How is that not enough sleep?"  
"Because I don't sleep well when I do." - Sancho half-lied.  
It was true that his sleep wasn't as sound as it used to be since the day he told Noelle the truth, but the true reason of "not being the same" was the fact that he didn't know what Noelle would do. She didn't refuse to save them from the De-Code, but she didn't accept either. And the fact that she still hadn't decided yet wasn't a good sign. So, Sancho was mentally preparing himself to spend the eternity in this human form and illusionary life. Hoping had never been his thing.  
"Then maybe you should do a medical checkup?" - Paxton suggested - "You might need a soporific."  
"Nah, it'll pass. I just resumed to work, remember? I guess I'm not used yet. Don't worry about it, bro." - Sancho reassured his brother with his usual wide smile.  
"Okay… But if you don't feel better, don't hide it from me."  
"Sure..."  
But Sancho's reply wasn't honest. There was no way he could share what was going on in his mind. Paxton just wouldn't understand, nor anyone else could. Sancho felt as if he was facing the world alone. But he could guess that he wasn't the only to feel that way.

"I'm really the worst…" - Noelle said.  
She was at Nathan Blake's, her lessor's home. Two days have passed since Sancho showed her the hidden floor of the powerhouse and gave her the keys to activate the system that would open a gate to the "other world". It occupied Noelle's mind since then and she felt very conflicted. One part deep within her was tempted to give it a try, but another, a more rational one, told her that it would be just another letdown in her life. The rational part seemed to be dominant for now, which made Noelle feel guilty, because Sam and Piper wanted her to undo the De-Code and save everyone. That was why she came to see Nathan, she needed to empty her mind. The two were lying on the soft carpet on the floor, staring at the ceiling.  
"I must make a very important decision… I know what the others are expecting from me, but I don't know if I'm ready to give them just that." - Noelle confided - "And it makes me feel like I'm a bad person. Do you have that feeling sometimes?"  
"I do… ninety percent of my time…" - Nathan replied with a melancolic and distant tone - "When that happens, I lie down and feel like I'm garbage…"  
"Well… that's what we're doing right now, aren't we?" - Noelle said with a tired tone - "But I guess that's enough for today. I'll return to my place now and… maybe feel like garbage in my bed."  
"Oh... I guess I won't keep you here for any longer…" - Nathan said, sounding sad and disappointed - "You're free to come back at any time... but you don't have to... whatever..."  
"Don't talk like that, Nathan." - Noelle replied as she felt bad for upsetting him (somehow) - "It's just that it's getting late."  
"I understand, Noelle... Have a good night..."  
Noelle left his apartement and got startled to see that the twins were sitting at her door, obviously waiting for her.  
"Sam? Piper? What are you two doing here at this hour..?"  
Without saying a word, Piper hugged Noelle and sniffed. Noelle grew confused as she saw that Piper started to cry and that Sam seemed to be on edge of anger.  
"Guys, did something happen?"  
"It's Dad... he wants to send us away to a boarding school…!" - Piper replied in between sobs.  
"W-what..? No way!" - Noelle exclaimed as she quickly unlocked the door of her apartement - "I won't let that happen!"  
As the three entered the apartement, Noelle dialed Gaster's number. Sam approached her and said:  
"There's no point, Noelle. He's doing it to get rid of you."  
"Nonsense, Sam." - Noelle replied before she heard Gaster on the other side of the line.  
"Miss Doe? Let me guess, the children are at your place."  
"They are. And can you also guess why they're upset?" - Noelle replied bitterly - "I can't believe you'd do this to them!"  
"They didn't take the news about the boarding school well. But I'm doing this in their best interests." - Gaster said calmly - "I know for sure that this school will only benefit them."  
"You think that it's beneficial to send them far away when they need you the most?!" - Noelle asked with bewildrement - "I honestly thought that you cared for them, but now…"  
"Now what? How dare you to imply that I don't care for my children! You are in no position to judge my educational methods, because you're no parent." - Gaster said firmly - "Did you forget that already? Why am I not surprised."  
"You're unfair." - Noelle replied.  
"Life's unfair. Anyway, I'm coming for them."  
At Gaster ended the conversation and Noelle shook her head. She approached the twins who were sitting on the couch.  
"I can't believe this… Just how can he do this to you?" - Noelle said as she sat in between them.  
"I guess the De-Code matters more than us." - Sam grumbled, his arms crossed.  
"Oh no… It can't be so, right?" - Piper asked as new tears came.  
"What does it have anything to do with the De-Code?" - Noelle asked with a frown.  
"Don't you get it? Our father's trying to make you leave the town!" - Sam explained - "He's using Piper and I as his __tools__…"  
Noelle sighed. She wasn't sure of anything now. She knew she had to help the kids regarding their emotional state. And the only way was to make stability in their life. Noelle just wanted them to be happy. A few minutes later, Gaster knocked at the door. Noelle opened it, and looked at the man with a glare.  
"Before you take the children with you, I have a deal to offer you."  
"I'll make no deal with you." - Gaster said.  
"I think you'll like this one, because it'll benefit you and the twins, but not me." - Noelle replied - "I'm leaving."  
"What did you say?" - Gaster asked, raising his brow in interest.  
"I'm leaving the town. But in exchange, I want you to not send Sam and Piper to the boarding school."  
"You know I owe you nothing, Miss Doe. I could send them to that school regardless." - the doctor stated with a stoic look - "But if you're __actually__ making us the favor to leave, I guess I can promise you to keep my children on my side."  
"So, is it a deal?"  
"Yes, it is."  
"What? No! Don't leave!" - Piper pleaded.  
"Please stay! We only started to know each other!" - Sam begged on his turn.  
"Guys, I'm doing this for you..." - Noelle said as she knelt to be on their level - "Your father will take care of you from now. Like he always did, basically… I... I have nothing to offer you. Dr Gaster was right."  
Noelle said it with a morbid tone, while Gaster nodded, satisfyed that she remembered his words said weeks ago. Noelle took the hands of the children in her own and pursued:  
"Making you stay at your home is the only thing I can do for you."  
"Will... will we see you again eventually…?" - Piper asked.  
"I... I don't think it would be productive. When I leave… it'll be for good." - Noelle said seriously but on edge of tears - "Trust me, the sooner we part ways, the better you'll heal from our separation."  
"No, no! Things are so much better when you're around!" - Sam protested - "Don't give our father that satisfaction, stay here! You're doing exactly what he wants!"  
"Guys, I'm doing this for you..."  
"But we want you here…!" - Piper said with a broken voice.  
"There's a difference between what you want and what you need." - Noelle shook her head, feeling her throat get painful at the sight of the twins in tears.  
"Well, we also need you! And not just because of the story!" - Sam exclaimed.  
"I... I'm really sorry." - Noelle said.  
She hugged the twins - who returned the hug - but not for too long in order to not annoy Gaster. When she let go, she turned to Gaster and asked:  
"You promise me they'll be happy?"  
"I'm offended. I'm their father, their happiness is my priority."  
Noelle nodded and after the twins reluctantly left the apartement to join their father, she closed the door and she leaned against it. __"Sam, Piper, I'm so sorry…"__ \- she mentally apologized - __"It's my fault you're hurt now. I let you love me, I gave you false hopes… and I'm not the hero you expected me to be."  
__  
That night, as the twins were lying in their respective beds, they were in a terrible mood. They couldn't believe that Noelle would leave just like that. The next night would be the last she'd spend in Undertown. And not only they would not see her again, but the inhabitants of the town would never be saved.  
"What can we do to make her change her mind, Sam...?" - Piper asked her brother in the dark.  
"Nothing... it's over now, Piper..." - Sam replied with a depressed tone - "We're doomed to stay here forever."  
"Don't say that, you always motivated me into doing things for our mission..!" - Piper exclaimed as she sat upwards in her bed - "You always told me that we mustn't give up."  
"But we cannot make Noelle change her mind… she stubbornly doesn't want to help." - Sam said as he put his cover over his head - "Whatever we do… it's pointless…"  
"No, no, it's not over yet...! We can make Noelle change her mind, we have to try something different…!" - Piper insisted.  
"Like what? Sancho litterally showed Noelle the hidden floor and told her his story… and she refused to accept the truth. What more can we do?"  
"Urgh... You gave up then... You're so like Sans right now…"  
"And you're too much like Papyrus."  
"I am and I'm proud to be!" - Piper said firmly - "Fine then, I'll find a solution on my own!"  
Piper laid down again and started to think. Before sleep took over her, a thought crossed her mind. _"I must make Noelle see that she's special... but how?"_

The next day, the twins looked sad and it wasn't unnoticed by their teacher. Class didn't start yet, so Taylor decided to have a talk with the two. As she approached, she said gently:  
"Sam, Piper... I heard about Noelle's decision to leave."  
"Yeah, and so…?" - Sam asked with a careless tone.  
Taylor felt a bit offended that Sam displayed a certain lack of respect towards her. But she decided to ignore it this time, because she knew how bad he and his sister were feeling.  
"I just wanted to say... I'm really sorry that it's happening."  
"You shouldn't be, Mrs Underwood." - Piper stated - "You have nothing to do with that."  
"Yet, I still can't help but feel responsable for having been unable to convince your father against the boarding school idea." - Taylor explained - "Your father did come to see me to talk about it. I tried very hard to make him change his mind, I told him that it wouldn't do you any good. But he was too stubborn."  
"It's not your fault." - Piper reassured her teacher.  
"That's just how our father is." - Sam said bitterly.  
"Anyway, you two should know that if Noelle's leaving, it's because she loves you both. Despite the short time she spent with you, I could tell by the look in her eyes how much you make her happy." - Taylor said - "But love isn't just about having good time together or sharing hugs. Love also implies sacrifices, and Noelle is making one now."  
"Still doesn't make me feel better..." - Piper lowered her head.  
"...I guess it doesn't. But with time, you'll understand the power of her action."  
At that moment, the schoolbell rang and Taylor called all the students of her class to come to her. When everyone was assembled, Taylor reminded the programm of the day.  
"Alright, my children. As I said yesterday, I'm taking you today to our local park in order to study the flora. Now, I want you all to stick with the group, so nobody gets lost."  
And so, Taylor's class went to explore the park. They were lucky that it wasn't too cold outside, which provided a better environement to concentrate on what the teacher was saying. Sam and Piper stayed the most behind in the group, due to their mood. At some point of time, Taylor showed them some berries.  
"What you see here are the holly berries." - she started her explanation - "You probably recognized them because you've already seen it being used for Christmas decorating. Those berries look appealing with its bright red color, don't they? But don't be fooled, the holly berries are poisonous. Eating only two of those suffice to produce its nocive effects. This is notably why I recommand to use artifical holly as decoration, otherwise children, dogs or cats may poison themselves by accident."  
What Taylor was saying about the berries caught Piper's interest. The mention of children getting poisoned reminded Piper about Chara and Asriel's story, notably the part when Chara ate buttercups and died afterwards in an attempt to save the monsterkind. __"I know how I can show Noelle the truth…!"__ \- Piper mentally exclaimed. Soon, the class moved on and, as she was the most behind, Piper discreetely slid in her pocket a few of the berries.

In the evening, Noelle was packing her things so she could leave the next morning as early as possible. Francesca watched her friend with sadness. As she sat next to her, Fran said:  
"It's a pity you have to leave. We were getting along so well, and… I don't think I ever had a so close friend."  
"I know, I feel the same. But I have to leave for Sam and Piper." - Noelle replied as she stopped packing for a moment.  
"I really don't want to let you go... I don't know why, but the thought of you leaving, it makes me…" - Fran looked away, not finishing her phrase.  
"Emotional?" - Noelle guessed.  
"Yeah... yeah." - Fran nodded sadly - "It's strange though, it triggers some déjà vu feeling."  
"Like when I eat your mother's pie?" - Noelle half-joked.  
Fran let out a chuckle. Noelle shook her head with a sigh.  
"I'll really miss her pie. But not as much as I'll miss you."  
"Aw, please don't me make even more emotional."  
"Keep your head up, Fran. And also, I want you to promise me something."  
"Promise you what?"  
"After I leave the town, you must go on a second date with Paxton." - Noelle said, but as Fran was about to protest, she pursued - "You friendzoned him, you claimed that you didn't feel anything romantic. But we both know that it was a lie."  
"But Noelle, I..."  
"No, Fran. Don't tell me you'd give up on your chance at love because of your fears of the future?" - Noelle took Fran's hand in hers - "Look, I saw your reactions to Paxton's flowers, to his visits at the hospital, to his date offer… Even your mother saw you blush when Paxton hugged you!"  
"Oh no, she told you that...?" - Fran hid her face behind her free hand, but was smiling a bit.  
"You fell for him very hard. So can't you just tell him your true feelings?" - Noelle insisted - "Will you go on a second date with Paxton and live happily ever after?"  
"Noelle, you know can't promise you __that__, do you?"  
"You have to." - Noelle said, sounding almost stern - "Or I'll never forgive you."  
"Alright, you win. I will go on another date with Paxton!" - Fran replied with a small giggle - "And I'll try my best to… whatever follows."  
"That's muchh better. Stay determined Fran, and you'll get everything you want!" - Noelle encouraged her friend - "Don't make the mistakes I made…"  
At that moment, Francesca received a text from Taylor. Fran told Noelle that she would be gone for some time, but requested to not go to sleep before she returned. Noelle promised that she wouldn't, and said that they'd still properly say goodbye to each other in the morning. When Francesca left, Noelle resumed her packing. Soon, she was mostly done. All that was left were bathroom things and her PJs she'd still need that night. Noelle then heard a knock on the door. She went to open it and was surprised to see Piper.  
"Piper? What are you doing here? Are you alone...?"  
"Noelle... I... Let me use your bathroom..!"  
Before Noelle could say anything, Piper rushed inside and straight to the toilet. Noelle gasped as she saw the girl throwing up. She knelt next to her and asked in concern:  
"Are you sick? What's wrong?"  
Piper didn't reply as she threw up again. She also didn't look well, which worried Noelle a lot. After a moment, Piper grabbed Noelle's hand as in support and said weakly:  
"I... I ate the holly berries... before coming here…"  
"What...? The berries of the ilex..?!" - Noelle exclaimed - "But those are very poisonous!"  
"I know..." - Piper replied, as she leaned on Noelle with half-lidded eyes.  
"If you knew, then why did you...?" - Noelle asked, shocked - "How many berries did you eat?!"  
"Not sure… help me Noelle… please..."  
"I'll take you to the hospital, just don't fall asleep okay?"  
Noelle started to lift Piper, but the latter refused to follow her. The kid shook her head.  
"No... not the hospital..." - Piper insisted with her weak tone - "You must save me... you can..."  
"Don't be childish, only doctors can save you! Come on, stand up and follow me...!"  
Noelle shook Piper, who only reaffirmed her grip on her in response. Annoyed and panicking, Noelle managed to pick up the girl and make her walk to the couch. She laid her down and said:  
"We must go to the hospital, or you might..."  
"Noelle... You can do this… save me, Noelle..." - Piper replied as she was getting sleepy - "I know you can… __I believe in you__…"  
"No, no, no... Stay awake, Piper...! Hold on...!"  
Noelle had a frim and grip on the girl's shoulders and she felt as if blood froze within her. She had no idea what to do, she couldn't remember properly what to do in a case of poisoning, but she had to save somehow this child who simply refused to go to the hospital. Piper was becoming less reacting, which scared Noelle even more.  
"Piper...! No, no... come on...! Look at me, please...!"  
Noelle's heart was beating faster and tears appeared in the corners of her eyes. While one hand was still holding over Piper's shoulder, the other started to shakely stroke the girl's blonde hair. Noelle almost started to cry as suddenly… something unexplainable happened. Both Noelle's hands emitted a green aura and its light seemed to spread all over Piper's body. Almost instinctively, Noelle closed her eyes and moved her hands over the upper body of the child. For a moment, it seemed like there was a green firework around them. A few moments passed, the green light dissipated and then… Piper let out a gasp as she opened her eyes. Noelle looked down at her and noted that Piper was looking healthy as ever.  
"I knew it... I __knew__ you could do it!" - Piper exclaimed, then hugged tightly a dumbfounded Noelle.  
"W-what...? How...?"  
"Don't you see? It was magic! It's the magic you inherited from your family! Most monsters can heal, and since you're half-monster, you can heal too!" - Piper explained with a beaming expression.  
Noelle looked at her hands, and as her mind finally processed, she finally realized the truth.  
"Magic..."  
Noelle then suddenly groaned as though she was in pain and brought her hand to her own head. This worried Piper and so she asked Noelle if she was okay. Noelle saw different images emerging from what seemed to be her past. Something that had been burried in the depths of her mind just came back to her. The images were in small pieces, but Noelle could still see some faces clearly. Her parents' faces! Her father was a skeleton with a red scarf, and her mother… looked just like Francesca. There were no doubts that the two women were the same person. Paxton and Fran… no, __Papyrus and Frisk__, seemed to be so kind and loving. They were looking at her with genuine smiles on their faces. __"They loved me, they would never have abandoned me..!"__ \- Noelle's inner voice screamed in her mind. Noelle slowly looked up and had the face of someone who just got the greatest revelation of their life, which in fact was the case.  
"Noelle...? What happened...?" - Piper asked in concern.  
"It's true… __It's all true__." - Noelle breathed out.

* * *

**A/N: When you're on the edge of despair, you follow Chara's steps… **

**But d****on't worry, Piper wouldn't have taken the risk if she doubted Noelle. However, she's always believed in her, so she just knew that Noelle would save her with her healing power. **  
**As you can guess, several things inspired Piper for that plan.**  
**\- Chara eating buttercups to poison themselves to take human SOULS on the surface and free monsters. **  
**\- Papyrus healing his brother, while he had never been taught to do so. Back then, it just happened, without any explanation being necessary. His empathy (and good condition) made him a good healer. And since Noelle has a great empathy too, and her love for the twins is as strong as Papyrus' love for Sans, her healing just had to be as effective. :)**

**Sooo… The next chapter is the last chapter of the first arc! After that, two arcs shall follow of approximatively the same length. So there's plenty more chapters to come yet! ;) **


	18. Chapter 18

**Prepare yourself, because it's a VERY eventful chapter here! I'm saying no more, so just read and enjoy. ;)**

* * *

"It's all true." - Noelle breathed out.  
She was a bit shocked and confused after the realization. Every word Sam and Piper had been telling her since the day they found her was true. Now that Noelle remembered her parents' faces, the story felt as real as ever. After all, the world the twins told her about was where she came from too.  
"So, you finally believe?" - Piper asked, pulling Noelle out of her thoughts.  
"Yes... I do." - Noelle answered.  
"Piper? I thought I forbid you to go out without telling me!" - Gaster's voice got suddenly heard.  
The door was ajar, so the doctor entered the apartement, followed by Sam. As soon as Noelle heard Gaster's voice, she felt a sudden wave of anger that she never felt before go through her veins. She inhaled sharply and stood up very quickly. Noelle then turned around, glared at Gaster with a very dangerous look and she hissed:  
"__You...__ The twins were right about you after all."  
Gaster's confusion turned into fear within seconds, as Noelle quickly grabbed his collar and pushed him against the open door, shutting it close in process.  
"Miss Doe..! What the-" - Gaster exclaimed.  
But Noelle blocked him against the door with a newly found strength, while the twins looked at her with surprise.  
"It's all your fault! It's because of you that everyone's trapped here! You doomed them to oblivion! It's because of you that I had to grow up alone! For __years__ I had no idea of who I really am! Just like all those people! You're even responsible for Piper taking extreme means, just so I can finally see the truth! She poisened herself, for God's sake!"  
"Piper... poisoned herself..? Why..?" - Gaster asked as he quickly looked at Piper, who looked a bit ashamed.  
"She did that because she saw it being the right thing to do in this situation!" - Noelle yelled as she pushed Gaster firmly against the door again - "Because __my daughter__ wants to do the right thing! Because she feels as if she's the one who has to clean the mess __you__ made!"  
Gaster had never seen Noelle so furious, and neither did the twins. As Noelle pushed Gaster's shoulders a bit to make sure that he was well blocked against the wall, she kept expressing her rage.  
"The kids told me you did all those horrible things to __your own sons__...?! And you escaped the consequences by erasing everyone's memories! You... what kind of a person you must be to go that far?!"  
Gaster just let Noelle have her outburst, because he knew there was nothing he could say. The woman's face was red of anger and her eyes... were glowing pink?  
"Your... your eyes..." - Gaster said as he got surprised by the sight of it.  
"What's with my eyes?"  
As Gaster didn't dare to reply, Noelle turned her head to look in the mirror hanging nearby. She gasped when she saw that her irises had turned pink and her eyes emitted a glow of the same color. Shocked, she released her grip on Gaster's coat and brought on hand to her mouth.  
"What..?" - she left her question unfinished.  
"Skeletons have the ability to glow their eyes for psycho-social matters." - Gaster answered quietly - "You're half-skeleton, after all... so your eyes are glowing…"  
"But why now…? Gosh, what's happening to me..?" - Noelle asked, her gaze still fixed on the mirror.  
"Noelle, it's okay." - Piper said as she approached her - "Calm down and the glow will be gone."  
"Your eyes are glowing because you're feeling very strong emotions." - Sam explained.  
Noelle blinked a few times and the glow was soon gone. She also seemed to have cooled down.  
"I think that when my condition triggered your power to heal, the rest of the powers awoke too." - Piper explained.  
"They were locked in before because you didn't know that magic existed." - Sam added - "But now you know, and so your powers are showing up."  
"Makes sense I guess…" - Noelle replied - "So this means I really am a 'savior'."  
The twins nodded in response. Gaster asked carefully:  
"Now that you know the truth about everything, what will you do?"  
"What do you think, Dr Gaster? Fulfill my purpose of course!" - Noelle replied with a glare.  
"So, you really will undo the De-Code? Right now?" - Sam asked with a growing excitement.  
"Yes. I have everything to do so."  
Noelle took out of her pocket the keys Sancho gave her three days ago. Gaster's eyes widened and he grew very nervous.  
"No, no, no... You can't do this! You have no idea what it takes!"  
"Really? It cannot take more than it took you to do what you did." - Noelle replied, her tone unfazed and still somewhat angry.  
"You don't understand Noelle!" - Gaster replied, without noticing that he for the first time called Noelle by her given name - "You probably know that you're the only person who can undo my work because you have a-"  
"Yes, yes, my SOUL is different 'cause I'm a hybrid." - Noelle interrupted him.  
"And so, it's powerful enough to cross the gate to the other world, or rather what's left of it."  
"I already know that too." - Noelle sighed irritatedly.  
"But you're misunderstanding one thing! The gate can let pass a very powerful SOUL, but… it lets pass the SOUL __only__."  
"Wh-What do you mean...?"  
"I mean that your body isn't included, it has to be left behind." - Gaster revealed.  
"As in... death?" - Noelle asked.  
"A clinical death at less."  
An heavy silence followed. Noelle was shocked and Piper's eyes grew wide in fear. Sam shook his head and said:  
"This isn't in the book. There's a part when the white dog explains how it works to Sans and Alphys, but not once did he mention that Noelle'd have to die or give up on her SOUL."  
"They surely just didn't know that." - Gaster replied.  
"I don't believe you!" - Sam protested - "You just made this up! You want Noelle leave things as they are!"  
"I swear it's true! I studied the question very closely back in my world."  
"But Sam has a point; we have no reason to believe you." - Noelle said seriously - "If it was true, you wouldn't tell me about it now. You could've just hidden this from me, and let the gate kill me. So tell me, why are you telling me this if it's not to stop me?!"  
"You would've preferred to not know and get killed?" - Gaster tried to avoid the question.  
"Oh please, it's not like you care what'll happen to me!" - Noelle exclaimed.  
"__I do!__"  
Those two words surprised Noelle as much as they surprised Gaster himself. But the scientist quickly covered his previous statement.  
"I mean, if I let you die, Sam and Piper won't ever make me forget that, will they?"  
He said that with a very casual tone, in contrast with the previous emotionally involved 'I do'. Noelle frowned again, not sure what to think of all this. If Gaster really cared (to some extent), it meant that Noelle really had to… die. She looked at the twins as if mentally asking their advice. But their expressions were not helping this time. They were as much disturbed by the new revelation as was Noelle. The woman looked back at Gaster and asked:  
"So, I have to die?"  
"Not necessarily... like I said, a clinical death is sufficient…" - Gaster answered quietly, not daring to look at Noelle.  
"Does it mean that theorically, it would be possible to maintain my body alive, while my SOUL's on the other side of the gate?"  
"Yes, but…" - Gaster hesitated - "...but the SOUL and body merging back is not guaranteed."  
"What are the risks?" - Noelle asked, trying to sound unmoved.  
"The numbers are purely theoretical, they're irrelevant-"  
"What are my chances, Dr Gaster?" - Noelle cut him off, her tone not very loud yet firm.  
"... The chances of survival are fifty-fifty."  
Noelle's face turned into one of shock. The twins exchanged alarmed looks. Noelle brought her hand to her forehead and she stepped back. So, that was it? Her life would possibly end while saving everyone? There was a probability of fifty percent that she'd die in process.  
"Noelle...?" - Sam asked - "What will you do now?"  
"The De-Code isn't that bad, you know…" - Dr Gaster started - "It's true that the inhabitants of this town got their memories erased, but they could also forget all the bad things. Asgore and Toriel don't have to remember the death of their children, they only have the good memories of their daughter. They also don't remember the painful separation they went through. Sans and Papyrus don't remember about my lab and everything they went through in there. So… maybe leaving them be wouldn't be a too bad idea?"  
Noelle shook her head and looked at Gaster defiantly. She spoke up with a firm and determined tone.  
"No. They forgot all the bad as well as all the good. They deserve to know who they really are. I am not like you, Dr Gaster, I won't let people down in order to save myself. I will do the right thing, despite the risk. Tonight, everyone's returning home."  
With those words, she dialed Sancho's number to tell him that she was ready. Noelle requested him to join her at the powerhouse and explained the SOUL and body separation thing, but without mentioning the death risk. Sancho promised to have his eye on Gaster while she's unconscious, to make sure he doesn't attempt anything. As Noelle finished the conversation, she opened the door of her apartement and ordered Gaster to follow her. When they, along with the twins, exited the building, Gaster remarked:  
"You didn't tell him about the fifty percent risk."  
"I didn't." - Noelle confirmed.  
"Why is that? Did you hid it so he wouldn't try to stop you?" - Gaster asked - "I never thought you're the kind to lie."  
"And I never thought you're the kind to doom a kingdom to oblivion just so they forget your sins." - Noelle replied coldly.  
Gaster winced slightly when Noelle said those words. They kept walking down the street in silence, until Noelle broke it with a question of her own.  
"Honestly… I __really__ can't see how you could do this. It's just… Did you ever have any doubts or hesitations?"  
Gaster didn't answer as they kept walking in the direction of the powerhouse. Still expecting an answer, Noelle looked over her shoulder to look at him. His face was difficult to read, which wasn't new. Gaster was remembering one moment from his past.

**_**1 month and 3 weeks before the De-Code**_**

Dr Gaster was walking discreetely across the Capital. He had been making calculations of the area, so he could reconvert it properly into the plan for the future de-coded town. He turned his head to see that he was nearby the New Home now. He sighed nostalgically as he remembered the times when he was welcome there. Gaster then chased the thoughts away, he had to be quick, to not be noticed by anyone. Even though the place was mostly desert now, Gaster still preferred to be careful just in case. He took a few notes as he walked around Asgore and Toriel's residency, and when he was about to go, he saw someone a little further. It was Noelle. Gaster quickly hid behind a wall so the little girl wouldn't see him and his eyes got locked on the kid. She was walking around in her Delta Rune dress, her gaze always curious. She had decided to have a walk outside the house to kill the boredom while her parents and grandparents were busy discussing the De-Code they found out about two weeks ago. Sans was supposed to look after her, but fell asleep. So, there Noelle was on her own. Suddenly, Flowey emerged from underground in front of Noelle, startling her a bit.  
"Howdy!" - Flowey said with a large smile - "It's nice to find you here… __alone__."  
His smile turned creepy, which made Noelle back up slightly.  
"Finally… I finally have an opportunity to rip off your SOUL!"  
At those words, Flowey's roots wrapped itselves around the girl's legs, making her unable to escape. Before even she could call for help, the roots were already around her arms.  
"H-help...!" - Noelle called out shakily.  
"Nobody's gonna come!" - Flowey laughed - "You gonna die here all alone!"  
Noelle's SOUL, a pink heart, made itself visible. Gaster, who observed the scene, without really thinking, summoned a blaster from where he was and made it fly above the two. Noelle was struggling as she was trying to get free, and when Gaster found the right angle to not harm her, he made the blaster fire at the flower. Within seconds, Flowey lost a lot of his HP. __"Damn it, I thought the smiling trashbag wasn't around..!"__ \- he mentally exclaimed. With a cry of pain, he disappeared under the ground. Noelle was still sitting at the same spot, shaking and crying. Gaster made the blaster vanish, his eyes never leaving the child. He reached out a bit and then… made one small step from behind the wall, his instincts urging him to walk up to Noelle. But as Gaster made that one step, he stopped himself. Gaster felt as if he was again facing those two fundamental options that would present themselves to anyone. "Fight" or "Mercy"? One part of Gaster, somewhere within his scarred SOUL, wanted to check if Noelle was okay, to have a closer look on her, and maybe even… soothe her. But there was that other part of Gaster that was telling him that he couldn't permit himself to approach the girl, even less show any kind of affectionate gesture, considering what he was planning for her and her family. That thought made Gaster stop completely and his posture hardened. He stepped back behind the wall.  
"NOELLE!"  
"Oh gods, are you okay?!"  
Frisk and Papyrus rushed outside the house to their daughter. Noelle was crying until she could finally speak a few words.  
"Flower... bad flower with bad smile... wants h-hurt me…"  
Papyrus and Frisk exchanged alarmed gazes. They looked around but the flower was nowhere to be seen.  
"FLOWEY WANTED TO HURT YOU?" - Papyrus asked, to which Noelle nodded in response.  
"Noelle... I've told you before to __never__ go out alone! It can be very dangerous! What if he didn't leave?! What if he hurt you?! Don't ever do that again, understand?!" - Frisk grounded her to make her realize the mistake, but then hugged her daughter tightly - "Oh Noelle… It's okay… Shh, it's over now."  
Papyrus wrapped his arms around Frisk while she was still holding Noelle and the family headed back inside the house. Gaster, who had had one quick look from behind the wall, discreetely left the place, totally unnoticed.

**_**Present day**_**

"Well? Did you have any hesitations?" - Noelle repeated her question.  
"No, never." - Gaster lied.  
Noelle, Gaster, Sam and Piper soon arrived at the powerhouse. It was late, so the workers had recently left the building. Before they'd go inside, Noelle turned to the twins and said:  
"Look... I think it'll be better if you go back to your house. You shouldn't watch what'll happen."  
"No! We must be here!" - Sam protested.  
"It might be dangerous down here, so you'll be safer if you don't stay around." - Noelle explained.  
"But... Noelle, what if..." - Sam started his phrase, but didn't dare to finish.  
"Sam, Piper, look at me." - Noelle said as she knelt to be at their level - "This is not the last time we see each other. Okay?"  
"You... you will come back." - Piper then said, trying to sound sure - "You will, because…"  
"...because you believe in me." - Noelle smiled - "I will do everything that's in my power to come back to you."  
She then hugged the twins tightly against her chest and they returned the hug eagerly. It lasted for a long moment. Noelle then murmured:  
"I love you, kids."  
Sam and Piper heard her, but didn't dare to reply. One tear fell down from Noelle's eye, after what she pulled away. She asked them once again to go, what Sam and Piper did but not without looking back a couple of times.  
"Okay, let's get inside." - Noelle said to Gaster - "You go first."  
"Of course..."  
While she was behind him, Noelle could make sure he didn't try to run away. Within minutes, the two descended to the secret floor, where Sancho, along with Alicia, was already here.  
"Sancho..? I thought Alicia didn't know..." - Noelle commented.  
"Oh, she doesn't. But I convinced her to come with me, saying that in the morning everything'll make sense." - Sancho replied.  
"H-he was s-saying really weird stuff though... At first, I thought that he was drunk…" - Alicia shared her opinion - "B-but his mind's clear as I can see… Do his words make any s-sense to you?"  
"Trust me, Alicia, he's telling you the pure truth." - Noelle said - "But I must warn you that something uh… __unusual__ is about to happen, so please try to not freak out. I'll really need you to maintain me alive."  
Alicia nodded, then she and Sancho proceeded to install the medical equipement that was meant to keep her body alive, and thus maintain the connection between her body and her SOUL. Noelle observed the two do the job, she turned to Gaster and asked curiously:  
"If you never wanted anyone to undo your De-Code, why did you bring here the medical stuff?"  
"Because this room is basically identitcal to the one that was in my old lab." - Gaster answered - "Everything that was there was brought here."  
"Did you ever consider the possibility that I'd save everyone?"  
"No, I always thought that there were about zero chances that you'd ever find this town. My work __is__ pretty perfect, after all."  
"You're way too self-confident." - Noelle commented.  
"Yeah, your evil plans failed, which isn't the first time." - Sancho added with a deadly glare.  
Alicia frowned as she wondered what everyone was talking about. But she guessed she should keep all her questions for later.  
"Everything's installed." - Alicia said.  
"Sweet. Now, you must insert the key here to plug in the system and activate all the computers." - Sancho instructed.  
"Okay..." - Noelle was about to insert the key, but then stopped - "Wait. Sam and Piper aren't from that other world, they were born here. Wouldn't they be left behind?"  
"If we create 'files' for them, they should be coded back to our world with the rest of us." - Gaster answered.  
"Do that while I'll be... gone." - Noelle requested, then addressed Sancho - "Have your eye on him."  
"Trust me, I will." - Sancho said with a dangerous low tone, his gaze fixated on Gaster.  
Without waiting any longer, Noelle activated the system. First, all the computers got turned on. Then, there was like a earthquake and something sparked on one of the walls. And a few moments later, a vortex-like portal opened, which created a light wind in the room, but it was too small to suck up anything within.  
"So... it really is big enough just for a SOUL..." - Noelle commented - "Okay, what now?"  
"You must pull your SOUL out of your body." - Sancho replied - "I'm not sure how to explain the process."  
"But how do you expect me to do it, if you cannot even explain?"  
"You just need the proper will to do it. The only thing I can advise you is… to collect all the determination you have within." - Gaster said.  
Noelle closed her eyes, brought her palms to her chest and concentrated. After a moment, she took her hands away from her chest and a pink shining heart appeared. Alicia gasped as she saw this.  
"Oh my gosh... It's... It's like something from an anime!" - she exclaimed as her eyes shone - "It's... magic! Wait… Is that happening for real..?"  
"Don't distract her, Alicia." - Sancho requested, then spoke to Noelle - "Now, concentrate all your will into your SOUL. Once on the other side, you'll have to find what we call the 'Legendary Artefact'. It's the only thing that couldn't be de-coded, because it's sort of the 'heart' of our world. Understand? Now, walk up to the portal slowly."  
Noelle, her eyes only half-lidded, walked slowly towards the portal. When she was close enough, the SOUL got absorbed by the portal and Noelle fell on the ground, lifeless.  
"Oh gods..!" - Alicia exclaimed as she and Sancho rushed to the unanimate body - "What's going on..? What's all this about?!"  
"Calm down, our task's to maintain her alive, ok?" - Sancho reminded her - "She'll come back in no time, you'll see."  
Gaster looked at them as he mentally noted that it might not be the case. He looked then at the vortex and wondered what was possibly going on in there.

* * *

On the other side of the vortex, there was nothing but darkness. There was literally nothing. Noelle's SOUL was floating in the middle of nowhere. __"Alright… so I must find the Legendary Artefact."__ \- the SOUL thought - __"But how to find it…? I must do it quickly, so I can come back…! Calm down, Noelle… So far, I always had to trust my instincts. I guess I must trust it again."__ And so, Noelle's SOUL flew across the darkness in search for the holy object. She couldn't tell how long she was there, nor in which direction she was really flying. But Noelle knew one thing: she wouldn't give up if it was to save everyone, to return to Sam and Piper, and even have a fresh start with her parents. And this filled her with DETERMINATION. The SOUL shone in a brighter light and soon, she could see another light shining afar. Noelle floated in the direction, using all the determination she had within to give her more strength and speed. After a while, she finally reached it. It was the Legendary Artefact, a red crystal ball. __"Now, what do I do…? How can I save everyone…?__" - Noelle wondered as she flew around the artefact - __"Maybe… maybe I must…?"__ Without second thoughts, the SOUL touched the artefact, after what the two merged together!

* * *

"Oh no... She's dying!" - Alicia exclaimed as she saw that Noelle's vitals drastically changed.  
"Do everything that's in your power to keep her alive then!" - Sancho ordered his friend, who obliged.  
Alicia was working over her patient, but for some reason, she couldn't stabilize Noelle like before. Sancho glared at Gaster, who had just finished to create files for Sam and Piper, and demanded:  
"What's going on, doc? Why is the process killing her?"  
"She didn't tell you, but there was a risk of fifty percent that she doesn't make it." - Gaster answered seriously.  
"What?! You knew this and hid it from us?! You bastard! Noelle has to pay her own life to save what you destroyed!"  
"I didn't hide anything, she was aware of the risk! And you, __Sans__, should've got better informed about how the saving process worked before you sent her away!" - Gaster yelled back - "I never planned to get her killed, it's you who had the brilliant idea to grant her the 'savior' burden!"  
"Shut up, you're in no position to judge! At least, I cared for the kid, while you never did! You'd surely prefer her dead!"  
"Can you stop saying nonsense! You don't think that Flowey simply ran away that day, do you?!"  
Sancho froze as he realized what it meant.  
"You mean... it was you who...?"  
"Dr Gaster, Sancho..." - Alicia said with a sad tone - "I... I think it's over."  
"No... NO!" - Sancho exclaimed.  
Gaster didn't say anything, but he looked at the inanimate Noelle with wide eyes. __"She… she can't be… I thought that she'd make it... No… I... I killed her…"__

* * *

Noelle's SOUL merged with the Legendary Artefact suddenly started to shine in a brighter light. __"Please... Sam, Piper, Sancho, Paxton, Fran… I... ____I'm saving you____!"__ As the SOUL's voice echoed throught the darkness, the light shone even brighter, chasing all the darkness away. Within moments, there was no dark spot left, only a space of blinding light. But then, Noelle felt as she got detached from the artefact and got the impression that everything was growing dark around her again. __"Wait, no… I must…"__ The darkness then took over her.

...  
"Miss Doe...?"  
Noelle slowly opened her eyes, and with a tired moan, she sat down. Wait... she had her body back? __"I... I did it...?"__ \- she wondered. She looked around and noticed that the room looked slightly different from before.  
"It's a relief you woke up. I thought that you wouldn't come back."  
Noelle looked in the direction to where the voice was coming from. She couldn't understand it, it sounded as if it was some other language. She gasped as she saw Dr Gaster...who was now a __skeleton__. He was leaning against a wall, and he wasn't looking at her. Noelle didn't dare to say anything, so after a moment the doctor spoke again, while his magic hands were signing.  
"Like you can see, the good won over the evil... You undid my work and we're all back to our world." - he progressively let himself slide down the wall until he was sitting - "It's over now… It's all over… I should've known that this would happen. I..."  
The skeleton started to shake and his bones were rattling. Noelle's gaze never left him as she slowly stood from the bed. Gaster put his face in his holed hands as he kept going.  
"I shouldn't have done this in the first place...! It seems I'm good only at hurting people. Why…? Why didn't I listen to my inner voice, who told me to chose 'Mercy'? I ignored it so many times… too many to count…"  
Noelle slowly approached him. She was trying to figure what to feel about all this. It was good that her love to study languages led her to study signing. Her skills weren't perfect, and Gaster's signing was a bit frantic, but she could still understand the big lines of what he was saying. Gaster seemed broken. He was even… sobbing?  
"I didn't want to hurt the people... I didn't want to hurt you, Noelle... And I know what I did to Sans and Papyrus was very horrible. I just wanted, after everything that happened… I just wanted to have a second chance… For a moment… no, for nine years, I thought I'd have it with Sam and Piper. But the night you arrived... I remembered what I always knew... second chances are never gifted. At least, not to me, because… I just don't deserve one."  
The skeletal appearance made Gaster look more... fragile. Especially in his current position, his bone-rattling, his crying... The sight of him made Noelle feel sorry for him. And when Gaster said the last part, all the remaining traces of anger towards him vanished and Noelle got all filled with empathy. She knelt down to Gaster and gently put her hands over his shoulders. Gaster shuddered and turned his head away.  
"D-don't..." - he said with a broken tone.  
This word alone had some impact on Noelle's good SOUL and her arms, as if working on their own accord, wrapped themselves around the skeleton. Gaster's eyesockets widened and his sobs stopped for a short moment.  
"You're wrong..." - Noelle whispered - "The whole point of second chances is that they are like the most precious gifts. And I'll prove this to you. I'm giving you a second chance."  
"No... You can't..."  
"I can, gifts are supposed to be accepted."  
"I hurt you... more than once... Why would you do me such a favor?"  
"Because I'm willing to forgive you, Dr Gaster."  
"You are, but the others... they'll never forgive me." - Gaster shook his head - "They all hate me..."  
"Not all of them. Sam and Piper love you." - Noelle stated then looked in Gaster's eyesockets - "I know, redemption is difficult, but you won't be alone in this. The kids are there for you. And I am too. I promise that I'll help you through it."  
Gaster's eyes generated even more tears and Noelle tightened her embrace around him. They sat there for a while and Noelle mentally vowed again: __"I will help you, Dr Gaster as long as you'll need it... I promise."__

* * *

**A/N: We're here guys, it's the end of the first arc! :D Now the story shall take a slightly different direction, the concept from OUAT is absent from now on since they're all back to the world of UT, but I still kept borrowing some ideas from the OUAT show. :3**

**Noelle's Soul is pink because it's a mix of Frisk's red Soul and Papyrus' white one. It's basically due to the nature of her Soul, which is hybrid. **  
**This is also why I decided to make Noelle's eyes glow pink, not because of what it's supposed to represent, I just thought it'd make sense if it was her default color, since it's the same color as her Soul. Plus, pink is a lighter shade of red, which is (almost) Papyrus' default color. **  
**The reason why Noelle (or rather her Soul) was able to merge with and save the world with the Legendary Artefact, it's because like Sancho said, it's the "heart" of that world. Or in other words, you can call it the Soul of "Undertale". So, two powerful Souls "merging" together has a similar effect to what happens when a human Soul and a monster Soul reside within one body. Or even when a monster absorbs seven Souls and becomes godlike. Similarily to Asriel, Noelle got infinite powers which permitted her to save the (destroyed) world. **

**So… how is the story so far? Reviews would be very nice, especially now that all the first arc has been uploaded. **


	19. Chapter 19

**And let's get started with the second arc! I am very excited to share this one with you, whoever reads this story. This arc has many of my personal favourite chapters, but also I'm warning you that things shall be pretty different from now on. Now that everyone returned to their original world, Noelle will have to properly meet her family and adapt to a completely new life. How things shall go for her? Will she reject her parents, or is she willing to rebuild a true family with them? How will Gaster's crime be dealt with? Can he be forgiven or is it too late to fix things? Also, a certain someone got set free… Read this arc to discover the next part of the story!**

**I just want to thank Cheeky The Monkey again, for their kind words regarding the first arc. I'm very glad you liked the story so far and I hope the rest will meet your expectations. ^^**

* * *

Progressively, while being held in Noelle's embrace, Dr Gaster's shaking and tears stopped. He then wiped his wet cheeks with his sleeve, as Noelle kept looking at him with concern. Gaster sighed and asked:  
"Why are you doing that?"  
"Why am I doing what…?" - Noelle asked back, unsure at what he meant.  
"Why are you… showing this… kindness to me?" - Gaster clarified - "I am responsible of most of your life troubles."  
"It may be true, but… I think that responding to evil by evil is not the solution. It only makes things worse and… I know that you're not all bad. Deep down, there's still some light in your soul. And I know that if I don't help you now, it'll just snuff out."  
"You know… you really are your father's daughter." - Gaster had a short sad smile - "Speaking of whom… you should go and find your family. They're surely waiting for you to return to them."  
__"My family…"__  
The woman stood up but before exiting the building she was in, she turned to Gaster again and asked:  
"You... Will you be okay on your own..?"  
"Not really… I'm not sure if I'll ever be okay." - Gaster replied with a quiet and empty tone - "But you have more important things to do right now. Don't waste your time here. You've already lost twenty-two years because of me."  
"A-alright… But I'll return as soon as I can. Along with the twins."  
Gaster didn't reply anything, so Noelle rushed out of the building and wondered in which direction she should go. She had to find her family, but she had no idea where to look for them. __"I guess I shall trust my instincts, once more."__ \- she thought. So, she chose a random direction, which turned out to be the way to Snowdin.

At that same time, Papyrus and Sans were standing in front of their old house, reuniting for the first time as their true selves after many years.  
"BROTHER!" - Papyrus hugged Sans tightly which then had as result that Sans' feet weren't touching the ground anymore - "IT'S WONDERFUL, I'M SO GLAD TO SEE THE REAL YOU AGAIN!"  
"i'm glad too, bro…" - Sans returned the hug for a moment, then he looked down and spoke more seriously - "about what happened before we were 'de-coded'... i'm so sorry, papyrus."  
"LET'S NOT THINK ABOUT IT, ALRIGHT? EVERYTHING'S OKAY NOW, AND YOU'RE MY BROTHER, NO MATTER WHAT. I FORGIVE YOU, SANS… I ALWAYS WILL."  
"bro..." - Sans' grip around his brother tightened again.  
At that moment, Sam and Piper approached the two and looked at the two skeletons with wonder. They were seeing living skeletons for the first time in their life, Sans and Papyrus were exactly like in the comic book, only better!  
"Sans... and Papyrus…" - Sam said quietly.  
"It's so cool to see you for real!" - Piper added with a louder tone, unable to conceal her excitement.  
"OH! BUT AREN'T THOSE MY GRANDCHILDREN?!" - Papyrus exclaimed and released Sans from his hug to go hug the two children - "SAM, PIPER! IT'S SUCH A JOY TO SEE YOU! I KNOW, WE'VE ALREADY SEEN EACH OTHER BEFORE, BUT I WASN'T THE REAL ME BACK THEN, AND I DIDN'T KNOW WHO YOU TWO WERE TO ME! WOWIE! WHO KNEW THE GREAT PAPYRUS WOULD BECOME A GRANDFATHER IN A BLINK OF AN EYE?!"  
The kids giggled and hugged him back, with wide grins on their faces. When Papyrus let go of them, the kids approached Sans, who had a warm expression on his face.  
"heya, kiddos. glad you made it here okay."  
"We're glad how things turned out too." - Sam replied.  
"But I wonder where all the others are?" - Piper wondered out loud.  
The timing of her question was perfect, because a moment after, a familiar voice then got heard.  
"Papyrus?"  
The skeleton turned around. He saw Frisk standing a few steps from their spot. Asgore and Toriel were behind her too. For a short moment, nobody said a word. Frisk had an expression that told she was happy and moved. Papyrus' face lit up at the sight of her and he said the two words Frisk hadn't heard in twenty-two years.  
"HUMAN WIFE!"  
As soon as he said that, the two spouses ran towards each other and Papyrus quickly lifted his beloved human from the ground and spun her around in joy. Frisk couldn't help but giggle through the tears of happiness she had in the corners of her eyes. She then kissed Papyrus on his teeth, to which he responded by tightening the embrace. Toriel, Asgore, Sans and the twins looked at the scene with content expressions. They all were glad that they were finally truly together at last.  
"Papyrus..." - Frisk said with a smile - "That was what I wanted to tell you the day you saved me: your name."  
"REALLY? SO, YOU HAD REMEMBERED MY NAME?"  
"Yes, for a short moment, when I was on edge of death, I remembered." - Frisk said with a happy smile - "I think it was that part of me who feared to never see you again…"  
"I TOLD YOU THAT IT'LL ALL BE OKAY, IF WE BELIEVED." - Papyrus said before gently pressing his teeth to Frisk's forehead.  
"Silly me for ever doubting." - Frisk replied with a smile, then she looked down as though ashamed - "I'm sorry I friendzoned you."  
"IT'S ALRIGHT, FRISK." - Papyrus said, his smile never falling - "I FRIENDZONED YOU FIRST, LONG AGO. SO, WE'RE EVEN!"  
Frisk smiled again and buried her face in Papyrus' red scarf.  
"I missed you…"  
"I MISSED YOU TOO, HUMAN WIFE."  
Noelle had arrived in Snowdin about a minute ago and was observing the scene from afar. She was hesitating, she was trying to gather her courage to approach them. Noelle had been waiting for this moment for her entire life, that moment where she'd finally meet her parents. But the scenario she had been playing in her mind so far was rather different. After all, she lived the past twenty-two years thinking that her parents abandoned her, so she imagined that she'd let go her anger and order them to explain themselves. But now, Noelle knew the truth. They would never have done what she thought they did. They were as much victims of fate as she was. So, she no longer had a reason to be mad at them. And Noelle was paralized, because she had no idea what she was supposed to feel or how to behave… But she was snapped out of her paralysis, when she heard Frisk say to Papyrus:  
"Now that we're together again, we shall look for our daughter."  
"I... I'm here." - Noelle said timidely.  
Everyone looked in her direction. Toriel and Asgore moved a bit aside to give Noelle the space to move closer. Hesitant, Noelle made a few steps in the direction of her parents, but then stopped. The nervousness was back. So, Frisk and Papyrus walked towards her instead. As the two got close to her, Frisk reached her hand to cup her daughter's face. She looked into those green eyes she loved so much, which hadn't changed a bit after all those years. Frisk's own eyes got filled with tears and hugged Noelle, which took her by surprise.  
"Noelle... I'm so happy… I'm so happy you're back…" - she was saying.  
"WE MISSED YOU! WE WERE SO SCARED WHEN WE LOST YOU, BUT IT'S SO GOOD TO NOW HAVE YOU BACK!" - Papyrus said, sounding moved, as he hugged Noelle too.  
Noelle was absolutely speechless as she was held in the arms of her parents. She felt her own eyes getting filled with tears too, a mix of different emotions flowing through her. This was definitely a better version of the meeting with her parents than the one she pictured for years. But Noelle was still unsure of what to make of this. She did remember some images from her past, but she hadn't seen her parents for years. For the moment, Noelle decided to put the questioning aside and she shyly returned the embrace. The gesture made Papyrus tighten the hug and Frisk stroke Noelle's ponytail. The two then released Noelle, after what Frisk asked:  
"How are you feeling..?"  
"I... Uh, I don't know…" - Noelle replied - "I'm still a bit… confused."  
"CONFUSED ABOUT WHAT?" - Papyrus asked.  
"About my feelings, about everything." - Noelle said - "I guess I need time to process it all."  
At that moment, Toriel and Asgore approached them. Noelle studyed the true appearance of the old couple and noted that they did look familiar. Toriel took Noelle's hands in hers and said:  
"My child, I'm so happy to have you back among us."  
"So, I estimate that you should no longer be called 'Doe', from now on." - Asgore added as he put his large furry hands over the woman's shoulders - "Welcome back home, Noelle Dreemurr."  
"I'm a Dreemurr… So I do have a name of my own…" - Noelle said to herself, then looked up at the king of monsters - "Wait, this means that you are my…"  
"Your grandparents." - Asgore confirmed with a smile.  
"Or should we say… **_**goat**_**-parents?" - Toriel said, after what she let out a short giggle.  
Papyrus let out a moan of annoyance and Frisk said to her mother:  
"Mom, that wasn't even funny."  
"Sorry, Frisk. I couldn't help it. It must be my way to deal with all the emotions." - Toriel replied with a smile.  
"It's perfectly understandable, Tori." - Asgore remarked, then looked down at Noelle again - "After all, the Dreemurr family is reunited again."  
The king then looked in the direction of Sam and Piper, who were still standing next to Sans. He added:  
"A family that actually expanded."  
The twins took this as an invitation and so, they hugged their mother tightly, almost making her lose her balance. Frisk chuckled at the sight.  
"We're so glad you're okay!" - Sam said - "You made us worry!"  
"I'll try to not do that again." - Noelle replied with a smile as she gently stroked her children's hair.  
"Please, don't." - Piper requested - "You won't leave us again, right?"  
"Never. And no matter what else could happen, I'll always find my way back to you." - Noelle promised seriously, then looked up at her parents and grandparets and asked - "So... what now?"  
"Now, we'll all return back to our homes and resume our lives." - Asgore said - "We'll live and enjoy everything we missed during all those years."  
"there's also a certain someone we must deal with…" - Sans said with his low dangerous tone, his sockets becoming all dark.  
Everyone immediately understood what he meant. Noelle walked up to Sans and said seriously:  
"Sans, no. It's true that what Gaster did was wrong at so many levels. But the problem must be settled in a right way. Revenge won't make anyone happy."  
"are you sure about that? i know it'll make __me__ happy." - Sans replied.  
"You might feel satisfyed to some extent, but not happy." - Noelle shook her head - "So, don't even think about what you're thinking. I won't allow you to hurt him."  
"why of all people, would you want to protect him?" - Sans asked, not understanding Noelle's behaviour - "are you seriously willing to overlook what he did? he was nothing but nasty to you!"  
"I do not hurt people just to feel personally satisfied, neither I advise you to do that. I agree that some kind of punishement is fair, but hurting him is not an option."  
"so, you're asking me to just… let go?" - Sans asked, clearly not pleased.  
"Yes, exactly."- Noelle said firmly.  
"you're asking me the impossible." - Sans growled, his left eye glowing blue.  
"I don't like when you have that look." - Sam commented, then he and his sister grabbed Sans by his sleeves, to prevent him from teleporting away - "Noelle's right, you can't hurt him!"  
"Please, don't hurt our dad..!" - Piper begged.  
The girl's plead got heard. Sans' eyes returned back to normal and his posture loosened a bit. His anger towards Gaster was still evident, but he clearly renounced to surrender to it.  
"alright, then... i will not hurt your father, kids." - he said with a sigh - "i won't ever forgive this guy. but i'm not cruel to make children fatherless."  
Noelle breathed out in relief. At least, Sans wouldn't try to get revenge from Gaster. But she'd still keep an eye on him just to be sure. Noelle turned to Asgore with an unspoken question in her look. Asgore could read it and said:  
"This is a problem Sans cannot settle alone. Nor can we settle it on our own. Gaster didn't hurt just one or two persons, he impaired the whole population of our lands. So, the council of humans and monsters shall assemble as soon as possible."  
Noelle was relieved to know that Gaster's case would be discussed by an official institution, which meant that his fate wouldn't be defined by some arbitrary decision. Of course, it was too soon to tell if the measures that council would decide to take wouldn't be too disporportional, but at least Gaster was safe for the time being. For the moment, everyone needed to recover from the events anyway. And so, Asgore told his family that they would head the surface, to go back to their houses. As the group was going across Waterfall, Frisk said:  
"Noelle, you probably have many questions. So… don't hesitate to ask, okay?"  
"WE'LL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM!" - Papyrus added.  
"Uh... I don't know, can you tell where this big… family will live?" - Noelle asked awkwardly - "You all have houses, but I doubt there's one for Sam and Piper, or me."  
"It's not exactly the type of question I expected, but okay…" - Frisk replied - "For the time being, the twins could sleep at my parents' house, in New Home. If they don't mind, of course."  
"Of course we don't mind!"- Toriel confirmed - "They can take the bedroom Asriel and Chara used to sleep in, it has been empty for a long time."  
"We'll be happy to host Sam and Piper." - Asgore added.  
Noelle nodded in a grateful manner. Frisk pursued what she was saying before:  
"As for you, Noelle... well, I thought that you could live where we all used to?"  
"You mean...?"  
"IN OUR HOUSE OF COURSE! YOUR BEDROOM DIDN'T GO ANYWHERE!" - Papyrus confirmed what Noelle thought.  
"I know, the room's still furnished as a child's bedroom, but it can easily be arranged." - Frisk added.  
"So, you're asking me to live with you, in your house..." - Noelle repeated the idea to herself.  
"__OUR__ HOUSE! AS IN 'YOUR HOUSE TOO'!" - Papyrus corrected her.  
"...Oh."  
Noelle stopped walking, which made her parents stop too.  
"You... don't like the idea of living with us?" - Frisk asked carefully.  
"No, no, it's fine." - Noelle replied quickly.  
"Are you sure?"  
"Yeah, I just didn't expect it, that's all. Silly me, right? I could've guessed."  
Noelle had a smile on her face but her body language displayed nervousness. Frisk could tell that Noelle wasn't comfortable enough around them yet. The three resumed their walk in the direction of where the barrier used to be, and so Noelle's parents decided to talk a bit, hoping that it would progressively ease Noelle's tension. They tried to keep the conversation neutral at first. They told her about the village they lived in, that it was built especially for the monsters, very close to the ex-barrier.  
"It was not out of fear of monsters, or to keep them at distance." - Frisk clarified - "It was for legal and administrative reasons."  
"SINCE ASGORE IS THE KING OF MONSTERKIND, HIS CASTLE - NEW HOME - HAD TO BE KEPT AS THE ROYAL OFFICE. SO, IF ANYONE HAS A LETTER TO DELIVER TO THE KING AND QUEEN OF MONSTERS, IT'S ADDRESSED THERE!" - Papyrus explained - "OF COURSE, FOR PRACTICAL REASONS, ASGORE KEPT LIVING IN NEW HOME TOO!"  
"So, when you freed the monsters from Underground, you sort of became a princess, Frisk?" - Noelle asked with a grin.  
"Not immediately. You see, my parents were separated back then. Mom didn't even want to talk to Dad for a long while. Mom and I lived in a house of our own. Eventually, when I was sixteen, Mom and Dad reconciled. So, we moved to New Home too, Mom resumed her queen duties and I got officially adopted by Asgore as his daughter."  
"Then, what are your political duties now?" - Noelle asked curiously.  
"They didn't really change, I remained ambassador, along with Papyrus." - Frisk answered - "My parents are Boss Monsters, which means that if they have no children of their own, they'll live forever. So, I'm not exactly needed as a heir."  
"BUT SHE IS AN AMAZING AMBASSADOR! SINCE THE FREEDOM OF MONSTERS, FRISK DID A GOOD JOB TO KEEP A POSITIVE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE TWO RACES!" - Papyrus praised his wife to Noelle - "BUT OF COURSE I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, CONTRIBUTED TO IT! HUMANS JUST LOVE ME A LOT!"  
Noelle grinned a bit at the last phrase. She looked at Frisk, to see what she would reply to that. She only confirmed the skeleton's words, saying:  
"It's true, Papyrus is loved by the public, especially by the youngest. That's why he also has the role of monsters' mascot."  
"Wow... You guys really are important personas around here…" - Noelle remarked, as her tone fell a bit - "A great, powerful and famous family. That's… nice."  
Frisk and Papyrus noticed that Noelle someway tensed again. It was true, Noelle felt uncomfortable again. How else could she feel? Her parents and grandparents were great, important and influential people, and she wasn't sure if she could possibly fit in. Noelle had been a __nobody__ for years. How could she ever match with that royal image?  
"NOELLE, ARE YOU OKAY?" - Papyrus asked in concern - "YOU BECAME SILENT ALL OF SUDDEN."  
"I'm okay, Papyrus." - Noelle replied - "I was just thinking, nothing important to worry about."  
"YOU SOUND LIKE SANS NOW." - Papyrus remarked with a frown - "SO IT SOUNDS AS IF IT IS IMPORTANT."  
"No, I was just lost in thought, I promise." - Noelle said in an elusive tone.  
Frisk grabbed Papyrus' hand and shook her head at him very discreetely. It was her way to tell him to let this go for now and that if something really bothered Noelle, they should give her time to open up to them.  
It didn't take too long before they finally reached the house of the royal couple. It was in a good state, as though nothing had happened. Sam and Piper were looking around in amazement.  
"Oh my gosh, it's like we're inside the book now!" - Piper told her brother - "It looks exactly like on the pictures!"  
"Yeah, it's cool to see the place for real." - Sam agreed.  
"Here's the room you'll sleep in, children." - Toriel said as she opened the door of the children's bedroom.  
The twins rushed inside and immediately occupied the beds. Sam took the bed on the left and Piper took the one on the right. They both let out sighs, feeling relaxed. Noelle chuckled and commented:  
"You must be really tired now."  
She then turned to Toriel and Asgore, asking:  
"For how long can they stay here? I hope we're not making it uncomfortable for you."  
"Nonsense, Noelle. They're welcome to stay here as long as it'll be necessary." - Asgore replied.  
"We'll be only happy to have them around!" - Toriel added - "We'll take good care of them until…"  
"Until Gaster's fate is decided." - Asgore finished for his wife - "But you are free to visit any time, every day if you want!"  
"Yeah, I'll come see them daily, to make sure they're okay." - Noelle said with a nod - "And thank you."  
"No need to thank us. We're family, it's only natural." - Toriel replied with a smile.  
"...Right." - Noelle said, sounding a bit awkward - "Can I talk with them for a moment?"  
Noelle was left alone with the twins, so they could talk in private. The kids moved to a sitting position, a more appropriate one for a talk. Piper was the first one to speak:  
"Did you see Dad? How is he?"  
"Honestly? Not well. It took a long moment before I could calm him down." - Noelle answered - "I've never seen him like this before, he was… litterally broken."  
"No way. Really?" - Sam asked.  
"Really. I wanted to request you one thing. Sam, Piper,... whatever comes next, it will be very hard for your father. He did many bad things, so it's more than likely that he'll be punished for his deeds." - Noelle said seriously - "So please, can you do your best to support him? He'll need both of you now more than ever."  
"Yes, of course we can do that!" - Piper said - "I'll be very very nice to him!"  
"I knew you'd say that." - Noelle smiled, then turned to Sam - "You too, Sam. I noticed you tend to be harsher towards your father. You might not like what he did in the past - nobody does - but can you make an effort for him? What shall follow will be a big challenge for your father, so please don't make it even harder for him."  
"Yes, I can do that." - Sam said with a slow, understanding nod.  
"Good. Now, have a good night. I'll come see you tomorrow." - Noelle promised.  
As they said goodbye to each other, Noelle left the room and closed the door. Frisk and Papyrus were waiting for her in the corridor. Sans was there too, but he was asleep and so Papyrus was carrying him.  
"So, shall we go?" - Frisk asked.  
"Yeah, lead the way." - Noelle said to her parents.  
Soon, the family crossed the Capital, went out of the Underground, descended to the monsters' village to finally reach their house. Noelle frowned. It did look familiar… and not only because its shape resembled Sans and Papyrus' house in Snowdin.  
"Huh... When I was a kid, I often drew houses like this one." - Noelle said out loud.  
"YOU PROBABLY KNEW YOUR HOUSE WHILE YOU DIDN'T REALLY KNOW IT. LIKE, YOU KNEW THAT YOU KNEW, BUT AT THE SAME TIME YOU DIDN'T KNOW THAT YOU KNEW." - Papyrus remarked.  
"Err, yes, something among the lines..." - Noelle said with a light frown.  
They entered the house, after what Papyrus immediately laid Sans down on the couch. Noelle was looking around, studying the place. She then saw a few framed photos standing on a chest of drawers and picked one that got her attention. It was a picture of Sans, Papyrus, Frisk and a three years old Noelle, all looking very happy. Noelle then saw that Frisk was looking at her, so she quickly put the frame back at its spot, as though embarrassed. Noelle turned to Frisk, who said:  
"It's funny how the house didn't change the slightest bit, as if…"  
Frisk didn't finish her phrase, and Noelle guessed what she wanted to say.  
"THE BEDROOMS ARE UPSTAIRS." - Papyrus informed his daughter - "YOURS IS THE SECOND DOOR, IN CASE YOU DON'T REMEMBER."  
"You assumed right, I do not remember. So, I'm going to bed now. I'm still tired after... the process of saving you all." - Noelle said awkwardly as she proceeded to go up the stairs - "See you in the morning, Frisk, Papyrus."  
"Sleep well, Noelle. You really need it." - Frisk replied.  
"EVEN THOUGH I'M USUALLY AGAINST OVERSLEEPING, I WILL LET YOU SLEEP AS LONG AS YOU WANT." - Papyrus added.  
"Th-thanks, I appreciate it..."  
Soon, Noelle made it to the second floor and entered her room. Papyrus and Frisk exchanged a look, after what, Papyrus said:  
"WHY DOES IT LOOK LIKE NOELLE IS NOT HAPPY SHE FOUND US?"  
"She just needs time, Papyrus… It was all too sudden and there are too many things to process." - Frisk answered, before lying her head against the skeleton's shoulder and adding - "I just hope it won't take her too long..."  
Noelle was walking around her old bedroom. She didn't really remember it, but some things did feel somewhat familiar. Like expected, the bedroom was furnished for a very little kid. The colors were soft and there were many, many toys on the bed and in the corners. The wardrobe held child clothing and but Noelle also found there a box with her belongings from the "real world". __"My things must've been brought here too, when I undid the De-Code…"__ \- she mused. She found her PJs, so she wouldn't need to sleep all clothed. But she didn't lie down immediately. She studied the room and found on the small desk a few drawnings, obviously hers. Noelle quickly browsed the sheets and saw that a lot of them involved bright yellow flowers, on some of them there were Asgore and Toriel, but most of the drawings were about herself, Frisk and Papyrus. Her and her parents. On all of them, they were smiling. After a moment, Noelle then quickly put the pictures aside and moved to another corner of the room. There were many stuffed toys and Noelle could tell that some of them were homemade. There was a small doll with a too familiar bob haircut and a red sweater with a yellow stripe. __"Hey, I know this one..!"__ \- Noelle thought as she took it in her hands. Something told Noelle that the doll was sewed by Toriel and that the similarity to Frisk wasn't a coincidence. So, she sat down on the bed, still holding her "childhood friend" in her hands and she couldn't help but feel melancholy take over her. Noelle then finally laid down on her bed, hugging the doll tightly to her chest. But despite her fatigue, it took some time before sleep finally got her.

* * *

**A/N: Technically, I'm still on break, but I really wanted to write one chapter before January (and before the winter session of exams). So, as long as I had a little bit of time, I decided to write that one chapter where everyone reunites, because I was impatient to come to that part. So, it'll be a while before I can write and upload another chapter, so please be patient.**  
**Not much of Gaster in this chapter, but the relationship of Noelle and her parents is an equally important plot point. That's why its starting point was the main focus here. But don't worry, eventually there will be so much of Gaster, that you'll feel sick of this. (Nah, who am I kidding? There's NEVER enough of Gaster! ^^)**

**Oh, and the doll design is the one of Phoenix Prime's OC Keito. Some of you maybe are familiar with her comic dubs? And some might also remember that the said OC used to be her icon for some time before. I paid this tribute to her because she's been a very supportive reader and friend on DA and without her encouragement and devotion as a reader I maybe would never have made it to the end. Coming back to the doll, she's Indeed been sewed by Toriel at a time when she babysitted Noelle while Frisk and Papyrus were gone for business for a long time. **


	20. Chapter 20

**Sorry, it's been quite a while since I updated. There were just many things going on, so editing the fanfic wasn't really part of my priorities… But I'm back and things are about to get serious! Enjoy.**

* * *

Dr Gaster was lying in his bed, but his sleep was agitated. His hand had a tight grip on his blanket, his face was frowning and he occasionally let out a displeased sound. Gaster was having a nightmare.

__Gaster was in a very dark room, chained by his wrists and ankles to the ground. The chains were short, so Gaster couldn't properly stand up, nor could he raise his arms higher than a certain point. He was alone, so he started to call for anyone. At first, nobody came, so Gaster was staring into the emptyness in front of him, looking desperate. Then, he heard a familiar deep male voice:  
"You know that's what you deserve, Gaster."  
"Your Majesty…" - Gaster said as he turned around to face the king.  
"It was my duty, as the King of Monsters, to punish you for what you did. Like this, we'll be sure you won't hurt anyone again."  
"You have no idea how ____disgusted____ I am by your persona." - Toriel said as she appeared in the room too, her expression matching perfectly her words - "I can't believe I once called my child someone like you."  
Gaster was speechless. He knew there was nothing he could say. Papyrus and Frisk then appeared at another spot of the room too, the looks on their faces no nicer than Asgore's or Toriel's.  
"I ONCE BELIEVED THERE WAS SOMEONE GOOD DEEP INSIDE YOU." - Papyrus said - "BUT NOW I SEE I WAS TOTALLY WRONG."  
"I wish I killed you when we first met in the Underground!" - Frisk pursued with an agry tone.  
Sans was the next to appear in the room, and he said with a tone as dark as were his eye sockets:  
"and now you're in for a ____bad time____! you can be sure it'll be ____long____ and ____painful____."  
Gaster closed his eyes and started to breathe unsteadily, expecting pain to come. Sans let out a dark laugh as he watched the scientist tremble.  
"you think we'll just hit you? no, that would be too easy. and you're not afraid of physical pain. i'd rather watch you suffer as you lose those you need so much."  
At that moment, Sam and Piper emerged from the darkness and stood up in front of Gaster. The skeleton looked up at them and said with a shaky tone:  
"Sam... Piper…"  
"Whatever you have to say, save it. We're not interested to hear it." - Sam said.  
"You made us believe we mattered, but it was a lie. You never cared for us." - Piper added.  
"B-but of course I cared and I still care..!" - Gaster protested - "You're everything to me, you're my children, I... I did the best I could to take good care of you, and I'm sorry if what I did wasn't enough..! I did many bad things, but… still, I... I'm your father…"___**_  
_**___"Couldn't care less." - Sam replied.  
"No... You… you don't mean it…" - Gaster said with a broken tone as he looked town.  
"Our mom is a much better person than you." - Piper said darkly - "She'll make us happy."  
Gaster didn't reply. He then heard steps that echoed through the room and after a moment, Noelle showed up. She put her hands over the twins' shoulders and then, spoke to Gaster.  
"You never deserved children like them, and you know it." - Noelle said - "I am who they need, so I'm taking care of them from now on. With me, they're safe and will be loved."  
"No, no, no, you can't take them away from me…! You can't!"  
Gaster tried to reach out to Sam and Piper, but as he raised his hands in the twins' direction, the chains didn't allow him to touch them, emitting an unpleasant metallic sound. After a moment of the desperate attempt to have any physical contact with the two, Gaster's arms fell at his sides and the skeleton said with a begging tone:  
"Please, don't… I just don't want to lose them…"  
"But Gaster… you ____already lost____ them." - Noelle replied, then added with a wicked tone - "I'm taking them with me, while you'll die here all alone."__  
__The people started to fade away one by one, and Gaster desperately tried to call his children names only to be ignored. There was only him and his own loneliness in the dark.__

Gaster woke up as he sat straight on his bed with a gasp. It took a long moment until his breathing became steady again. The skeleton then took in his hands a picture of him in his human body and the twins. (It was one of the few things from his other life that got brought there after the world got restored.) Gaster stared at the picture for a moment until his hands started to tremble and he almost dropped the frame. __"Is it really too late for us…?"__ \- he pondered sadly. He put the picture down and laid on his back again, but he stayed awake for a while until he could have a short sleep near the morning. When Gaster woke up, he glanced at the alarm clock and then he stood up and walked to the kitchen to get himself some coffee. What he didn't expect was to see Undyne sitting there, almost casually. She looked up at him and said:  
"I took the liberty to enter. And don't you dare to get offended, 'cause I have bigger reasons to be offended by what you did."  
"Why are you here?" - Gaster asked simply.  
"Asgore sent me here to supervise you until we all figure what to do with you." - Undyne answered - "So, I'll stay here, keeping an eye on you, watching your every step, to make sure you don't attempt some crap."**_**  
**_**"Oh God…" - Gaster groaned as he imagined the fish woman being constantly around.**_**  
**_**"Look, I don't want to be here either! There are many things I'd rather do instead! It's your fault we're in this situation, so you'll have to shut up and bear my presence!"  
"I'll keep quiet only if you keep quiet too." - Gaster replied, with a tone displaying his unwill to argue.  
He just wanted to be with his own thoughts for the moment, so he wasn't in the mood for arguments about anything, may it be with Undyne or anyone else.  
"I don't want to talk with you anyway." - Undyne said.  
After her passive aggressive answer, she the fish lady resumed whatever she was doing on her cellphone.

Meantime, Noelle woke up in her parents' house. At first, she was a bit surprised to see she was sleeping in a child's bedroom, but then she remembered what happened the previous day. __"Right... I saved everyone from the De-Code, and now I'm in my parents' house. And this is my old room."__ \- Noelle thought as she stood up - __"A rearrangement is required."__ But it was a matter that could be dealt with later. Noelle went out of the room and descended the stairs. She could smell breakfast being cooked in the kitchen. The first person she saw was Sans, lying on the couch. He hadn't moved since the previous night. Noelle decided to leave him be, so she went to the kitchen.  
"Good morning, Noelle." - Frisk greeted her with a smile.  
"NOELLE!" - Papyrus exclaimed then, dropping his current task, hugged Noelle tightly - "DID YOU SLEEP WELL?"  
"Y-yeah..." - Noelle replied feeling embarrassed by the hug.  
She didn't dare to return the embrace, feeling too awkward. A moment after, the embrace tightened, which made Noelle wince a little, because the pressure of Papyrus' bones against her was a little painful.  
"Uh… You're too boney…" - Noelle remarked.  
"OH! SORRY, I FORGOT!" - Papyrus immediately let go of Noelle - "I GOT A BIT CARRIED AWAY... I JUST MISSED HUGGING YOU SO MUCH!"  
"I... I can tell..." - Noelle replied as she rubbed her arms.  
"Even when you were a kid, you sometimes complained about Papyrus being too boney. Until he learned to retain some of his strength." - Frisk said, having the smile of someone that was reliving a good memory - "Anyway, we're making some pancakes for breakfast."  
"AAAND... WITH SOME SALTED BUTTER CARAMEL!" - Papyrus added - "JUST LIKE YOU LOVE IT!"  
Noelle's eyes rounded as she saw that it was indeed what they were cooking. It wasn't unusual for her to eat pancakes, but it had been a long while since she ate some salted butter caramel. It was one of her favourite foods but it wasn't something she could find in any store. So, seeing that her parents cooked it for her turned her speechless for a moment.  
"Unless you don't like it anymore?" - Frisk asked, mistaking Noelle's lack of response for a form of reluctance.  
"No, I still love it!" - Noelle said, her eyes shining in anticipation - "I'm just… grateful you're making it for me."  
"Heh, well I'm glad we pleasantly surprised you." - Frisk replied with a smile.  
"ALL THE BEST FOR YOU NOELLE!" - Papyrus added.  
Noelle blushed a little, flattered by this statement. It was probably something she'd have to get used to. Soon, Sans woke up and the skeleton's face lit up as he saw he was back in the family house and that Noelle was there too.  
"Good morning, Sans." - Noelle greeted him as she sat next to him on the couch.  
"heya, kid." - he said - "so, do you like the house?"  
"It's cool, I guess." - Noelle replied with a light shrug.  
"that's all? it's the house where you grew up." - Sans stated, unimpressed by Noelle's impersonal answer.  
"I barely remember it. I was only three when you-… when it all happened."  
"yeah, i guess you have a point." - Sans said as he felt shame take over him - "you know, i realize it's my fault if you don't feel like this house's your home. do you... hate me, noelle?"  
"Uh... I never got to consider the question until now." - Noelle replied with a thoughtful expression - "I suppose I hate your action. But I can't just bring myself to hate you now, after you and I got to become good friends."  
"so, you don't hate me?"  
"Not really. Let's say I just dislike you at… five percent?"  
Noelle said it so casually, so naturally, that Sans couldn't help but grin a little at this. She was far nicer than she should be in this situation, she reminded him of his brother. And the thought rejoiced Sans. **_**  
**_**"But I hope you do realize that you owe me." - Noelle said with a more serious tone.  
"i suppose i do. what do you want from me?" - Sans asked.  
"I'll just request you once more what I already did yesterday. Don't seek revenge from Gaster, no matter how tempting this can be for you."  
"you know there are many sins he must pay for, right?" - Sans said, his tone dark, but not dangerous.  
Noelle sighed, and after a short moment, she spoke:  
"But who are we exactly to judge? I think that forgiveness is sometimes more effective than punishement. Maybe that's what Gaster needs? Maybe that's his… __our__ best chance?"  
"heh, i guess we'll aways think differently." - Sans said with a light shrug - "i judge people on what they do, while you and my bro judge on what they __potentially__ can be."  
Noelle nodded slowly. It was true that there were two ways to view a person and there was no right or wrong one. Both ways were just different.  
"but don't worry, like i said, for the kids' sake, i won't hurt gaster." - Sans added - "i can't ignore that they love this douchebag more than they should, especially piper."  
Noelle chuckled at Sans' way to call Gaster, then rememebered that she had to go visit the twins at Asgore and Toriel's house. Soon, the breakfast was ready and she had a rather good moment with her family. Noelle still needed to get used to the idea that Papyrus and Frisk were her parents, __her family__, so she sometimes felt awkward around them. But since they were good and nice people, Noelle knew that she could overcome the feeling, eventually. She then noticed that there was a certain distance between Frisk and Sans. Noelle could guess why; Frisk probably needed time to properly forgive Sans for what he did the night of the De-Code. But other than that, the morning was pleasant. After the dishes were took care of, Noelle put her coat and informed her family that she would go visit her children.  
"You remember the way?" - Frisk asked.  
"Yeah, don't worry. I won't be gone for long."  
"SAY 'HI' TO SAM AND PIPER FOR US!" - Papyrus requested.  
"I sure will." - Noelle smiled, then exited the house.  
It didn't take her long to reach New Home, the village being built not far from the Underground entrance. Like expected, Asgore and Toriel welcomed her warmly. They bombarded her with questions of how was the trip to her house, if she liked it and if anything was familiar there. Noelle replied that the house was neat and that some of the things were vaguely familiar. She mentioned the homemade doll she found in her room, which delighted Toriel.  
"Oh, it was your favourite doll! I sewed it for you when you were two and a half!" - she exclaimed with a smile - "It was when your parents had to go to the city for some ambassy business and they asked me to watch over you for two days. You cried so much when they were gone, so I sewed the doll for you to cheer you up."  
"This explains why she resembles Frisk." - Noelle commented.  
"Of course, Tori purposely made her look a lot like your mom." - Asgore confirmed, then led Noelle to Sam and Piper, who were playing in the bedroom - "Children, look who's there!"  
"Noelle!" - Piper immediately rushed to her for a hug.  
"We didn't expect you so soon!" - Sam added as he walked up to her on his turn.  
"Oh, so I should leave?" - Noelle asked with humor.  
"No, you know it's not what I meant!" - Sam replied with a short laugh then, quickly hugged Noelle on his turn.  
"We're just glad you came!" - Piper said - "Now, tell us how things are going for you?"  
"I was gone just for one night, not much happened yet." - Noelle said as she sat down on one of the beds.  
Asgore left the room to let Noelle and the twins be by themselves. The three talked a little about their experience in the new environment. Sam and Piper were obviously excited to see more of this world and they told that Asgore already promised to show them the town in the days to follow. Toriel was already planning to make them attend the school of the monster village (when it would open its doors again, that is). The kids also mentioned they hoped they could see Gaster soon. For her part, Noelle described the house to the twins and told with humor how she slept in a all pink and childish bedroom. And since she no longer needed the many toys she had, she told the kids they could eventually take those they liked. When she finished talking with the kids, Noelle decided to ask a few questions to Asgore on a more serious matter. She found him sitting in the living room. The monster looked up at her and asked:  
"Yes? Is there something you want to talk about?"  
"I wanted to ask you... When will the kids be allowed to see their father?"  
"Oh. Well, you see, I think the best for now is to let the three of them get used to the current situation before letting them see each other. I hope you understand. Sam and Piper just arrived in a new world, they're overexcited, so time is what they need to come down from hights and comprehend how they feel about everything… including their father." - Asgore said seriously - "As for Gaster, he should take that time to realize the weight of his actions."  
"So, he's all alone down here..?" - Noelle asked - "Don't you realize that his children are probably what keeps him steady? That perhaps he needs them now more than ever? And that Sam and Piper need him too?"  
"I understand how it looks like, Noelle. But I have a long life experience and I've sinned in the past as well, so I know what I'm talking about." - Asgore replied with a sad sigh - "It's their first day apart, and the Council shall reunite in two days. Let's just be patient for now, alright?"  
"Maybe you have a point..."  
"Gaster speaks in wingdings anyway. Sam and Piper just wouldn't understand him." - Toriel said as she was looking for some book to read on the bookcase.  
Noelle nodded slowly. She thought that maybe Asgore and Toriel knew better when it came to take difficult decisions - they were rulers after all - and that she should trust them for the time being. But it didn't make her feel any less concerned.

Meanwhile, Gaster was sitting on his bed, browsing his old journal from the other world. It was the same one he had on his personal laptop. But it once used to be in a paper format, until Gaster decided it would be safer if he digitalized his entries. Undyne was sitting outside the room, ready to enter if anything felt suddenly suspicious to her. But there was nothing weird about reading a book, so she let him be (for the moment). Soon, Alphys arrived in the old lab with the intent to see Gaster. Her arrival surprised Undyne, so she asked her partner:  
"Are you kidding? Why would you want to see him?"  
"B-Because I need to make sure h-he's okay... I-I know, what he did was terrible, b-but I helped him to take care of his children for nine years, s-so it's s-sort of my d-duty to check on him… You know..?" - Alphys replied nervously.  
"Fine... As much as I hate to let you talk with this sicko, I'll let you if it makes you feel better." - Undyne replied reluctantly.  
So, Alphys entered Gaster's room, closing the door behind her for privacy. Gaster didn't dare to look up at her. But after an awkward silence, Alphys said:  
"D-Dr Gaster...? I came to see how you were doing..."  
"I'm not dead, so I guess it counts as doing okay." - Gaster replied as he put the journal on the nightstand.  
"Don't talk like that..! E-Everything'll be okay… eventually…" - Alphys tried to reassure him, but failed.  
"It won't be, you and I both know that. Soon, I'll have to pay for my crime."  
"A-Asgore told me the Council of Humans and Monsters is assembling in two days..."  
"Just like I thought."  
The two former scientists didn't say anything for a moment. Alphys then awkwardly approached and sat down on the bed next to Gaster, but at a certain distance. After a long moment, Gaster said what surprised the yellow lizard a lot:  
"Thank you, Alphys."  
"W-What..? What for..?"  
"For suggesting me to adopt a child." - Gaster clarified - "Remember when I shared with you my inner problems?"  
"Y-yeah, it was w-when you said that for some reason, you felt all empty i-inside." - Alphys replied with a slow nod - "You said that you c-couldn't understand why, since you h-had everything to be content. And I s-suggested that it was maybe b-because you had nobody to share your comfy life with."  
"That's right. Then, you got the idea that a family of my own was what I truly needed to fill the void in my heart. I scoffed at the idea, but you insisted on helping me, finding an adoption agency. It took me days until I decided to give it a try and contact the agency. I've been on the waiting list for two years until I've been called. And when they showed me the two babies, for the first time in long years, I felt something. I couldn't identify the feeling back then, but I knew they were the ones. And then, when I took them in my house, as I took care of them, progressively my whole being was filled with warmth and… __love__. I was overwhelmed by it at every little moment, like… when they first smiled at me, when they first called me 'dad'... and I liked to feel that way. ...But now, I guess it's over, huh? That's why I'm thanking you, Alphys. Thanks to you, I could know those feelings… even if it was for a short while."  
"Dr Gaster..." - Alphys felt moved by what he just said.  
"Please, leave Alphys. I don't want to talk anymore."  
Alphys nodded and wordlessly left the room. When she was walking back at her home, Alphys couldn't help but feel blue.

The next day was pretty uneventful for everyone. The Council would assemble the next Morning, and the Dreemurrs had to prepare themselves for what was to come. The only ones that were relatively carefree were the kids. It was a calm afternoon; Asgore was reading something in the living room and Toriel was gone to the stores. Sam and Piper shyly walked up to Asgore, with a request in mind. Asgore saw the expressions of the children and thought that they had something very impportant to say or ask.  
"What is it, kids?" - Asgore asked - "Don't be shy, you can ask me anything."  
"Well, Sam and I were wondering if you could, uh…" - Piper started.  
"Could you teach us sign language?" - Sam asked.  
"Oh. Of course, it had to be expected…" - Asgore remarked to himself.  
"So... will you?" - Sam asked - "We need sign language to understand our father, since he doesn't speak 'normal' anymore."  
"Yeah, and the sooner we learn, the sooner we'll see him." Piper added.  
Asgore almost winced. Gaster was a topic that they haven't discussed so far. The twins were very young, so there still were things they didn't completely realize. For exemple, the thought that Gaster could be imprisoned for his actions didn't seem to have crossed their minds. This was why Asgore avoided to talk about Gaster around Sam and Piper. But seeing how important it was for them, the King of Monsters couldn't say no to their request.  
"All right. I'll teach you." - Asgore said, to which the twins responded with beaming expressions - "We'll start with the letters…"  
The twins were observing and memorizing all the hand signs Asgore was showing to them. Asgore was also from time to time drawing them pictures of those signs in a notebook, so they could study it later by themselves. It lasted for a while, perhaps one hour and a half, until Toriel returned home with groceries. She froze a bit when she saw what Asgore was doing, but then she walked up to them, interrupting the lesson.  
"Tori! We didn't hear you enter." - Asgore said.  
"Oh, Toriel! Guess what? Asgore's teaching us sign language!" - Piper said, full of enthousiasm - "That way, we'll be able to understand Dad when we see him again!"  
"So I can see…" - Toriel replied - "Asgore, can you help me store the groceries in the kitchen, please?"  
Asgore could see by his wife's look that she wanted to talk seriously in private with him. So, he stood up from his chair and gave the notebook to the kids, saying that they could go for the time being memorize what he showed them so far. Sam and Piper went to the bedroom, while Asgore and Toriel went to the kitchen. When the spouses for sure couldn't be heard, Toriel asked:  
"Why were you teaching them the signs?"  
"Because they asked me." - Asgore answered honestly - "It's something they need, I just couldn't refuse."  
"Right, you couldn't refuse… Did you hear what Piper said? She said 'when we see him again'. But the thing is, Asgore, that the question's not _when_ they'll see Gaster again, but _**if**_ they ever will. Don't you realize that you're feeding the children with false hopes?" - Toriel lectured her husband.  
"I'm just trying to support two children who miss their father. Is that a bad thing?" - Asgore defended his position.  
"Ugh… I know you mean well, but the Council is assembling tomorrow! You should've waited until a decision is taken. That way, bringing the bad news to them would be less crushing."  
"We can't be sure what the decision will be." - Asgore pointed out.  
"Come on, Asgore! You and I _both_ know that Gaster's chances to remain free are close to zero!" - Toriel exclaimed - "This is why I don't want the children to be deluded."  
"But Tori, didn't you always say that a child's feelings are fragile and must be protected?"  
"This is different." - Toriel replied, as she proceeded to unpack her groceries - "The situation's too extreme. A bitter truth is better than a sweet lie. The more direct we are with Sam and Piper, the sooner they'll heal."  
"Toriel… Regardless of how unfeeling the Council may be, there is still _a tiny chance_ for them and Gaster."  
"I already said what I think on the matter."  
Toriel obviously wanted to close the conversation. But Asgore estimated that the discussion wasn't over. He thought that Toriel's attitude was a bit too cold in this situation, now that the twins needed a moral support…  
"I agree with you that chances Gaster will be imprisoned are high." - Asgore said - "But it almost looks as though you _want_ the bad outcome to happen."  
"Excuse me?" - Toriel exclaimed, almost dropping the items she was removing from the bag - "How dare you to insinuate something like this?!"  
"I'm not saying that's what you actually want. It just _looks like_ as though you do." - her husband clarified - "I mean, last evening, when the kids mentioned Gaster, you hurried to change the topic a bit too quickly. Were you scared they'd ask when they could go see him? Or is Gaster a taboo topic for you?"  
Toriel stopped emptying the bag of groceries and sighed. Of course it was a question she'd rather avoid. Because if Sam and Piper asked, she wouldn't know what to answer. But what Asgore assumed wasn't true. Toriel let out a sigh and said:  
"...It's not what it looks like."  
"Then… what is it, Tori?" - Asgore asked gently.  
"I already told you, I'm just trying to be realistic." - Toriel said with a serious tone - "I want the children to be better prepared for potentially bad news, that's all."  
"I understand, I don't want them to suffer either." - Asgore agreed, but then he took his wife's hand, which forced her to look at him - "Is that it? Is there nothing else behind your behaviour?"  
"No, my only true concern is the children's well being."  
Asgore nodded slowly and said, as he started to help his wife to put the food in the fridge:  
"Alright. But you know that you can always tell me, whatever weighs on your heart."  
"I know. But I'm fine, don't worry about me." - Toriel replied giving him a small smile in reassurance.  
The conversation about Gaster was over, but it wasn't forgotten. Sam, who went to the living room to get some sheets of paper, heard a part of the conversation. He heard what could happen to the family. _"If our father's imprisoned… that means Piper and I won't see him again…"_ \- he thought as he processed, walking back to the bedroom. Deep down, a part of him knew about this possibility and that it was very likely to happen. But it didn't seem real until he heard Toriel and Asgore actually talk about it. When Sam entered the room, Piper noticed he was a bit down all of sudden.  
"What's wrong, Sam?" - she asked with a concerned frown.  
"Nothing, sis." - Sam shook his head and forced to smile - "Just can't decide what to draw."  
"Sweet, it means more paper for me!" - Piper joked as she took all the sheets from her brother's hand.  
"Hey, no!"  
He chased after his sister a moment to get the sheets back, after what the two started to draw pictures. Piper, oblivious to the problem, was her usual smiling self. On the other hand, Sam's mood darkened, but he pretended that he was okay for the rest of the afternoon. He didn't want to alarm Piper, knowing how she'd react. She would cry, and nothing could've reassured her. So, Sam decided to let her hope for a little longer.

The next day, the Council of Humans and Monsters could finally assemble and discuss the issue the entire island was talking about. The Council was founded after the monsters were freed from the Underground, and its purpose was to permit meetings between the representatives of both races to discuss issues or other topics that concerned the interests of monsters and humans. The assembly was thus composite of the human president and his ministers, the King and Queen of monsters (obviously Asgore and Toriel) as well as the embassadors Papyrus and Frisk. The issue of the day was of course a general interest, since the De-Code had affected litterally everyone of the small territory the two races occupied. They had to decide what to do with Dr Gaster, but finding a solution turned out to not be plain.  
"I say we should eliminate him, to make sure he won't ever be a threat!" - the human Minister of the Interior exclaimed - "We saw the extent of his skills! He could do it once, he can do it again!"  
"We can't execute him, death penalty had been abolished a century ago!" - the human Minister of Justice protested.  
"Who cares? We're dealing with an extreme situation, I'm pretty sure the people - humans or monsters - wouldn't mind! Many people talk about how glad they'd be to see the scientist executed!" - the Minister of the Interior protested.  
"No matter the gravity of the situation, we must respect the law." - the Prime Minister said with a serious tone - "Death penalty is not a solution, it had been discussed when it had been abolished and our predecessors agreed that it was morally no longer acceptable in our society. We must find another, a less extreme solution."  
"Hmm… He has a point." - the human president said thoughtfully - "No matter how much some people would want Doctor Gaster be a pile of dust, we must solve the problem with adequate to our society measures."  
"Do you have any suggestions, Mister President?" - Asgore asked.  
"Your Majesty, I suggest you to redirect this question to Madam the Minister of Justice." - the president replied, looking at the concerned person - "Do you think a trial would be possible?"  
"A trial? It's simply impossible to prosecute someone for a crime that doesn't exist in our criminal law." - the woman answered.  
"What do you mean? Are you suggesting impunity?" - the Minister of Defence asked in bewildrement.  
"There's no statute where you'll find a crime that consists in transporting the people in another world and 'reprogramming' their memories. The case just can't make it to a court."  
The Prime Minister turned to his Secretary of State and said in a quieter tone:  
"Take notes. One of our goals for the next mandate will be to add this new crime in our law."  
"I admire your optimism, believing that we __will__ be appointed again." - his right-hand answered with a slightly ironic tone.  
Their exchange wasn't unnoticed by the others. Some had annoyed, others relatively amused looks. The small exchange of the two got ignored and the president moved on.  
"But some kind of derogation must be possible." - he commented - "We can't use unconstitutional means to deal with our extreme case, but we can make an extension to perfectly legal means, like a trial. By the way, where is the doctor right now? He hasn't the possibility to harm anyone now, has he?"  
"Don't worry, I instructed Undyne, the former head of the Royal Guard, to supervise Dr Gaster until his fate is decided." - Asgore informed - "Nothing and no one escapes her sharp eye… and spears."  
"So, where were we? Are you suggesting to assemble a court for Dr Gaster's case?" - the Economy Minister asked - "I'm afraid that would be harsh for the State budget. We already must deal with costs related to the mess made during manifestations from our people…"  
"Not to mention the trauma the said people must go through after experiencing the De-Code." - the Health Minister added.  
"Mister the Health Minister has a good point." - Toriel said thoughtfully - "A criminal trial might agitate the people even more and generate other violences in the city. Besides, since all of us were affected by Dr Gaster's deeds, no matter the judge chosen for this case, they won't be objective."  
"Her Majesty the Queen is right." - the Minister of Justice confirmed - "A judge must be impartial. But all of those we have are Dr Gaster's victims. So…"  
The members of the Council looked at each other, knowing that it was a good point and they couldn't just ignore the fundamental principle of judges' impartiality. Papyrus decided to speak up, letting know his thoughts on the matter.  
"MAYBE WE'RE MAKING THE WRONG APPROACH? MAYBE OUR PRIORITY SHOULD BE TO THINK ABOUT THE WELL BEING OF HUMAN AND MONSTER CITIZENS? WE SHOULD HELP THEM MOVE ON AND RESUME THEIR LIVES AS WELL AS THEY CAN."  
"Are you suggesting, Mister the Ambassador, that we should completely ignore Dr Gaster's crime and leave him unpunished?"  
"THAT WASN'T MY IDEA…" - Papyrus replied - "I ACTUALLY MEANT THAT THINKING ABOUT GENERAL PEACE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THINKING ABOUT MAKING PAY ONE PERSON WHO WRONGED."  
"He's right. What Papyrus tries to say is that we all worked too hard to establish a good and peaceful climate between humans and monsters." - Frisk spoke up - "A long and public trial would agitate the people, who need to regain their senses after experiencing a false life. It would generate anger and hatred, and it's potentially dangerous for the peace between our species. If we ignore all the procedural issues and submit Dr Gaster to trial, the monsters might misunderstand. They might see it as a discrimination, no matter if it's just one isolated case. We've been working so well together for thirteen years, we can't allow our mutual trust to shatter because of one individual. In my opinion, the less we fuss about this case, the sooner the people can move on."  
Frisk's speech made all the human members of the Council pensive. Papyrus looked at his wife in an agreeing way, because it was what he had in mind too.  
Noelle was eavesdropping the scene on the other side of the council room, her ear pressed against the big door. She pretty much surprised to hear Frisk speak her mind with confidence. __"Is she really the same shy and unsure woman I knew in my world?"__ \- she wondered. Even though surprised, Noelle was also impressed. She then heard steps echoing in the almost empty hall, so Noelle hurried to sit down on the bench opposite to the door to not be caught eavesdropping. When the person passed through the corridor, Noelle was about to go cleave to the door again, but it was at that moment when her cellphone beeped. It was Alphys, asking if there were any news from the meeting. Noelle texted back, replying that the council members were still inside, so a decision hadn't been made yet. Alphys replied to this, saying:  
****"I hope it won't take too long. Because I'm worried for Dr Gaster's well being." ****  
The text worried Noelle, so she hurried to text her again.  
****"What do you mean? How is he?" ****  
It took less than a minute before Noelle got an answer.  
****"Two days ago, he thanked me for being the one to suggest him to adopt. Dr Gaster told me about how adopting the kids changed his life, how they made him feel good things again and how he was glad that he got to know that love for at least a short time. I think Dr Gaster believes he'll never see the twins again after today."****  
As Noelle looked at the text, she felt someway anxious. She realized that at this point, the twins were probably Gaster's everything, and that if he got to lose them, it would break him. Noelle felt like she couldn't allow this and she knew that she'd have to convince Asgore - or anyone else - to allow Gaster to regularily see Sam and Piper somehow. But for now, Noelle had no choice but just sit and wait for the meeting to end.

* * *

**A/N: The reason why I put all the political part, it's in order to put the emphasis on the fact that Gaster's deeds have consequences on a big scale. And to show that humans are not some phantom things we only talk about but never see. But I don't intend to make of those politicians recurring characters (hence why I didn't bother to give them names). It was just to display the seriousness of the situation. **

**Now, to explain (my version of) the UT world better. The country is located on an island. (Don't ask if there are other countries or lands outside, I'm not sure.) There's the city at the center, where humans live and there's a village where live all monsters (as explained in the preivous chapter). But it doesn't mean that monsters can't move to the city; some of them do live there. There might be one or two more human villages. The country has a governement, but it obviously has a parliament as well. But it's not a big one, due to the country being small. **

**Oh, and about salty butter caramel… I am not sure if it's frequent or not in stores of America..? I pretended for this story it's not. ^^" After all, you can find it mostly in France, since it's a french speciality. Even in Belgium, where I live, I didn't see it very often… Anyway, in this story, Noelle adored it when she was a kid, but when she ended up in our world, she didn't have many occasions to eat this kind of caramel. This is why her parents' gesture pleased her that much. **


	21. Chapter 21

Noelle waited for a little while after receiving Alphys' last message, until the doors of the Council finally opened. One by one, the members exited, wearing tired and serious expressions. When Asgore showed up, Noelle walked up to him, asking:  
"So? What has been decided..?"  
"After a long discussion, we came to the conclusion that we had to preserve peace between the two races." - Asgore started - "And a trial for Gaster would be counterproductive… It would be a shame to break the good relationship between humans and monsters, after all those years of working together. We can't let the effort go at waste."  
"But what does it concretely mean for Gaster?" - Noelle asked.  
"The Council charged me, as the King of monsters, to take all the necessary measures to punish him and ensure everyone's security." - Asgore answered with a sigh.  
"What? But you can't decide something so serious just by yourself-"  
"I __can__, because __I'm his king__ and that I'm directly responsible of my subjects and their actions." - Asgore interrupted Noelle with authority.  
His tone intimidated Noelle, so she immediately felt very small. She lowered her gaze and said with a barely audible tone:  
"I'm sorry… I didn't mean to question your authority."  
Asgore's expression softened a little bit. Toriel, Firsk and Papyrus heard the little exchange, so Frisk walked up to her daughter and said to her father with a hint of reproach:  
"Father, remember that everthing's still very new for her."  
"Right..." - Asgore let out a sigh - "I'm sorry, Noelle. I know, you probably need time to adapt to… pretty much everything. And Gaster's case makes us all uncomfortable."  
Noelle nodded. Soon, the family was heading to the exit of the building and Noelle dared to ask Asgore what he would do next.  
"The first thing I'll do is to go pay a visit to Gaster and tell him the outcome of the meeting. As for the form of his punishement… I'll probably need time to decide."  
"Remember, the Council expects a report from you in three days." - Toriel reminded him.  
"I know. This doesn't leave me that much time." - Asgore replied - "But one thing is certain; freedom is __not__ an option."  
"SO, DOES THAT MEAN HE'LL BE PUT IN A CELL?" - Papyrus asked with a concerned tone.  
"...Most likely, yes."  
Asgore's answer worried Noelle. If Gaster would be imprisoned, how would she bring the news to the kids? Noelle knew they wouldn't take it well. Not to mention that the separation would break Gaster too. But Noelle decided to keep those thoughts for herself until they returned to the monster village.  
When they finally arrived, Asgore and Toriel said that they would go to New Home and eventually, the king would descend to the Underground, for obvious reasons.  
"I'll come with you, if you don't mind." - Noelle said.  
"Uh… Sure, why not?" - Asgore replied, raising an eyebrow - "I hope you do realize it's official royal business and not a family trip to an old town."  
Noelle nodded. Frisk and Papyrus approached their daughter.  
"Noelle, you're leaving now?" - Frisk asked - "I hoped we could spend some time together."  
"But this is important. Business should come before the fun, right?" - Noelle replied.  
"I AGREE THAT GASTER IS AN IMPORTANT MATTER." - Papyrus said - "BUT FAMILY IS IMPORTANT TOO."  
Noelle sighed, feeling where this was going. Asgore and Toriel noticed that the three needed to talk, so they decided to give them some space and privacy.  
"I think we shall let you have your talk." - Toriel said.  
"When you're ready, join me at New Home." - Asgore said to Noelle.  
Noelle nodded, after what the two goat monsters walk away long the road that led to the entrace to the Underground. When they were far away enough, Noelle closed the door of the house and looked at her parents.  
"Don't give us that look, you know what we want to talk about." - Frisk said.  
"Guys, can't this wait? I mean, we'll have all the time in the world when our main problem is solved."  
"BUT WE ALREADY WAITED TOO LONG, WE'D LIKE TO TAKE THE TIME WE HAVE NOW." - Papyrus replied.  
"Okay… Take the time to do what, exactly?" - Noelle asked, already knowing the answer.  
"Noelle, we want to talk." - Frisk stated - "Please, can we?"  
"...Alright."  
"YOU KNOW NOELLE, WE REALLY WAITED FOR THIS MOMENT FOR A LONG TIME!" - Papyrus said with a hint of plea in his tone - "I KNOW, TECHNICALLY WE WERE 'ASLEEP' ALL THIS TIME, BUT WE STILL WERE THERE, IN A WAY! SO, I SUPPOSE THAT SUBCONSCIOUSLY, WE WERE MISSING YOU…?"  
"Not really the point, Papyrus…" - Frisk reminded him.  
"RIGHT... SO NOW THAT WE FOUND YOU, WE WANT TO TALK BECAUSE THE DAY WE LOST YOU, IT TOOK US BY SURPRISE, IT SCARED US BOTH A LOT."  
"And all we had that day was to hope that you'd return someday." - Frisk pursued with a sad tone - "So... please, let's talk about this. Because it's not something we ever wanted to happen. I hope you understand that."  
"I... I know you didn't…" - Noelle said quietly, not daring to meet her parents' eyes.  
"BUT THEN... YOU SHOULD BE HAPPY THAT WE'RE TOGETHER AGAIN, RIGHT?" - Papyrus asked, not sure to understand - "I MEAN, IF FRISK AND I WAITED FOR YOU ALL THIS TIME, YOU SURELY WANTED THIS TOO?"  
"Now, we're finally reunited. You know that we didn't abandon you, like you used to think." - Frisk added - "And yet, you act as though… you're not happy you found us. Why..?"  
"It's… complicated." - Noelle replied as she tried to find a way to word her feelings - "I __am__ glad that I found you. I'm also happy to know that I wasn't actually abandoned, like I thought before. But at the same time… even if losing me wasn't your will, the end result remains the same. During twenty-two years, __I've been all alone__."  
Frisk and Papyrus looked at her with sympathy, obviously feeling sorry for her.  
"You know it's not what we wanted for you." - Frisk said - "If I could change what happened, I would."  
"I know it's not your fault." - Noelle stated - "But the fact that I had to face life on my own, made it difficult for me to truly bond with anyone. I grew to have… issues when it comes to relationships. I don't even regret leaving my-… __the other__ world, because there was nothing for me there! So… now, you show up and offer me the affection I so craved for during my childhood, and I'm just… lost. I don't know what to make of this."  
Papyrus grabbed one of Noelle's hands in his and said with a gentle tone:  
"YOU CAN JUST ACCEPT IT. IT'S WHAT YOUR LIFE IS FROM NOW ON, IT'S WHAT IT ALWAYS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE."  
"I guess it is… But I'll have to learn to take this life. I... I just need time." - Noelle said, her gaze switching from Frisk to Papyrus and vice versa - "All I'm asking you is to give me time. I'm not used to bond with anyone. I started with Sam and Piper, but even this is still a work in progress. I hope you understand."  
Her parents weren't sure what to say. After a moment, Frisk just slowly nodded. Noelle was grateful that they didn't protest or argue, so she opened the door and went out to go to New Home. As the skeleton and his wife stood in the living room, Papyrus noticed that Frisk was slightly trembling. As if she was trying to conceal anything she was feeling at that moment. Papyrus put his hand over Frisk's shoulder and asked with concern, even though he already knew the answer:  
"FRISK, ARE YOU… ARE YOU ALRIGHT..?"  
"No... I... I need some time alone, Papyrus." - Frisk said and then, proceeded to walk up the stairs.  
She understood her daughter's position well, but at the same time she was upset. Upset because she couldn't do anything to help Noelle with how she was feeling, and also because the distance her daughter set between them hurt. On the second floor, Frisk saw Sans. His eyesockets were all dark and his expression was difficult to read. He then dared to look up at Frisk and said:  
"so… i heard everything. but i'm sure she'll come around, eventually."  
"I don't want to talk about it. Not with you, anyway." - she said coldly.  
Frisk then entered her (and Papyrus') bedroom and closed the door behind. Sans let out a sad sigh and teleported himself straight to the bedroom. His sudden apparition made Frisk jump on the large bed.  
"Did you forget the privacy rule, Sans?!" - she exclaimed with a glare.  
"i guess we must talk." - Sans stated.  
"Is that about what happened before the De-Code? I believe you already said everything that night." - Frisk replied as she turned on her side on the bed, not wanting to look at Sans.  
"i know what i said, but i didn't really mean it… trust me, i'm still ashamed for sending noelle away." - Sans replied as he looked down at his pink fuzzy slippers - "i know i should've told you and papyrus…"  
"I still can't believe you didn't." - Frisk said as she moved to a sitting position, now facing Sans - "I just can't understand how could you take this decision by yourself, without asking us! On the top of that, you've been hiding your plan for a month!"  
"i was planning to tell you about it, but…"  
"__But what__, Sans?"  
"i guess i just... didn't find it in me. i wasn't brave enough to confront you about it at first, so i told myself 'i'll tell them tomorrow', but when tomorrow came, i postponed it again. and then again, over and over, until that damned de-code happened." - Sans said with a bitter and subtly shaking tone - "i was just being… myself; doing thigns at my rate. …turns out i was too slow."  
"Is that really your excuse?" - Frisk shook her head - "Just that you were 'too slow'?"  
"no. but is there even an excuse you'd accept?"  
"Do you realize the damage, Sans?" - Frisk asked - "Why did you have to make us suffer like this? You might not care about my feelings, but what about those of __your brother__..? When he and I started to date, you strongly insisted that I musn't hurt his feelings, _or else_. And I kept my promise. I've always made sure he's happy and that you know that he is. But family's supposed to work __both__ ways, Sans! This means you must make an effort too..! Even if you you don't trust me enough, or don't like me…"  
"you know that's not true." - Sans corrected her, then lowered his gaze again - "i know, i failed you… just like i failed papyrus, and even noelle. i... that night, i just thought how gaster would __win__, and it filled me with __rage__… at the moment, it mattered more than anything… even noelle's well-being. i didn't think of how you or my brother would react. all i was thinking about was how much i wanted to stop gaster."  
Sans pauzed for a moment. Frisk's gaze never left Sans, she has been listening attentively his reasons and waited for him to keep going when he pauzed. It didn't take long until Sans pursued.  
"i wanted so much him to fail, and see the effect of __his sins crawling on his back__. anger blinded me, so i forgot everything else… including how much i cared for the three of you." - Sans said, then let out a short nervous laughter - "heh… i guess i was being me again, right..? i tend to focus on all the bad stuff and by this, ignore the good…"  
He pauzed again, and Frisk didn't say a word. She had a thoughtful, yet still clearly upset expression.  
"...i just realized that i never actually apologized to you." - the skeleton remarked, then made two steps towards Frisk - "i'm very sorry, frisk. i regretted my action as soon as i faced you and papyrus in snowdin, even though it was too late. can you forgive me… someday?"  
Frisk didn't reply. Her eyes were filled with tears and when she couldn't conceal them anymore, she laid and turned from Sans again. As a tear fell down her cheek, she said with a trembling tone:  
"I don't know… Maybe… I... Right now, I need to be alone. Can you please leave, Sans? __Please__…"  
Sans nodded and disappeared from the room. Now that he was gone, Frisk allowed all the tears that were bottling up to fall freely.

Meantime, Noelle arrived at New Home. She sensed a tensed mood in the air. When she asked Toriel if everything was alright, the queen of monsters explained that Asgore told the children that Gaster would soon be punished for his crimes, which obviously upset the two.  
"Maybe I should go check on them?" - the young woman suggested.  
"I don't know, they stated they don't want to see anyone." - Toriel said - "Maybe later, when Asgore and you return?"  
"I guess you're right… They'll have the time to calm down."  
But Noelle mentally noted that she should share her concerns with Asgore while they would be on their way to Hotland. She had to convince him to find an alternative. As Noelle was deep in thought, Asgore showed up, ready to go.  
"Ah, Noelle! Are you ready?" - he asked.  
"Yes, let's go." - Noelle confirmed.  
And so, the two exited the house, walking in the direction of Hotland. It took a while before they arrived at their destination, but it didn't take long for Asgore to see that there was something on Noelle's mind.  
"So, can you now tell me why you absolutely wanted to come with me?"  
"There's something that concerns me a lot."  
"Oh. It's about Sam and Piper seeing Gaster again." - Asgore guessed - "Am I correct?"  
"Yes." - Noelle confirmed - "If you plan to imprison Gaster, he and his children won't see each other any longer."  
"They might, just rarely." - Asgore corrected her - "Prisoners usually are allowed to have visitors."  
"I know, but I was thinking that it isn't the best solution for them." - Noelle shared her opinion - "I mean, the prison… or dungeon, or whatever else… isn't the best environment for a family reunion. Sam and Piper are still very young, and seeing their father in a cell would surely be very unpleasant. Gaster's also the only parent they knew since their earliest days, and an upcoming imprisonment would be an abrupt separation."  
"...Deep down, they're strong, they'll eventually overcome that." - Asgore said, but he did sound a bit reluctant.  
"A family-related trauma is never fully healed, Asgore. I'm talking out of experience." - Noelle said seriously - "But it's not just about the kids. Alphys told me that Gaster is mentally preparing himself to never see Sam and Piper again. Her words make me believe that Gaster is on the edge of a breakdown."  
"Ah, I see... Well, as much as I feel sorry for him, I have a duty. The human and monster people rely on me, they expect peace and security from their rulers."  
"But isn't there any other way to ensure just that without taking too radical means?" - Noelle insisted.  
"You have a caring heart, Noelle. But the weight of the crown is something you don't yet understand." - Asgore said with a serious, yet sad tone - "Believe me when I say that making Gaster suffer won't make me happy, despite everything he's done."  
There was a silence after that. Noelle was left thoughtful, but she was still convinced that another solution had to be found. Soon, they arrived to the lab. (Gaster lived there since the day he had the idea to unleash the De-Code.)  
"Here we are." - Asgore said - "Now comes the difficult part. Bringing him the bad news."  
"And... once we do?"  
"It'll mostly depend on how Gaster reacts."  
With those words, the king of monsters and Noelle entered the lab.

* * *

**A/N: I'm very sorry if this chapter's too angsty, but this had to happen sooner or later. And I hope this chapter didn't put Frisk into a too wrong light, for not forgiving Sans straight away. She has all the right to be mad at him. Don't worry, now that he actually apologized, a part of her forgave him. It'll just take her a little more time before she fully accepts what happened. **


	22. Chapter 22

Asgore and Noelle entered the lab and, soon after, the lights lit up. The first person they saw was Undyne, pacing slowly around. As she saw the king, she exclaimed:  
"Asgore! You came to tell what the Council said, right?! Great, 'cause I can't stand being there any long-..."  
Undyne's words died as she noticed Noelle being there too. The fish woman's eyes rounded and she was left speechless for a moment. After all, she never had an opportunity to see her best friends' daughter since the end of the De-Code.  
"Noelle..?" - she asked - "Oh my gosh, it's YOU!"  
Before Noelle could react, Undyne rushed to her and trapped her in a very tight hug.  
"Woah..! Ow, stop it, you'll break my bones..!" - Noelle immediately started to protest, the hug actually hurting her (because Undyne was pretty muscular) - "Wha… What's your problem, lady..?!"  
Undyne released her and Noelle was rubbing her upper body in pain. The fish lady looked at her with a slightly confused look, but her smile still present. Noelle noted that the smile used to look nicer when Undyne was a human - now, she had yellow sharp fangs.  
"Ah, you probably don't remember me, do you?" - Undyne asked - "I'm Aunt Undyne! I occasionally visited your house when you were a kid!"  
"I... I don't remember you. I'm sorry…" - Noelle replied awkwardly.  
"It's okay. I guess it's normal, I didn't always make a positive impression on you, haha." - Undyne then got a face of someone who recalled an awkward memory - "Like that one time when I accidently decapitated your plushie dog with my spear! You cried a lot after that..!"  
"Oh, that story sounds familiar…" - Asgore mused - "Right, Toriel had to sew the head back to the body and it was only when the toy was repaired that you completely calmed down! Haha… Anyway, we're both here for business, Undyne. We must talk to Gaster in private."  
"Sure. He's in the bedroom. I almost didn't see him today. Not that I'd complain, I have to restrain my impulses to hit him each time I see him." - Undyne muttered the last part - "Anyway, I'll be waiting here."  
"Thank you, Undyne."  
Asgore and Noelle soon reached the bedroom, where they found Gaster sitting on the bed, browsing through what seemed to be one of his journals. Gaster looked up at the king and he felt a shudder cross his bones. But he managed to conceal it and he stood up, saying quietly:  
"Your Majesty…"  
"Gaster. You know why I'm here." - Asgore said with a serious voice - "I was taking part at the Council of Humans and Monsters today, and we discussed a long time in order to decide what would be the most appropriate to do with you. I hope you realize how severe your actions were. You disturbed peace among our people. Everyone has to recover from the life of another, and some are now probably facing an identity crisis! You violated the laws of nature, breaking through the fabric of space and time - correct me if I got it wrong - to reach a different world. Who knows what could've happened if things went wrong!"  
Noelle was looking at Gaster's face while Asgore was telling the wrongness of his actions. The skeleton's face was stoic, and as hard as Noelle was trying to find a hint of any emotion, she couldn't. He was pretty good at concealing his feelings. It seemed like there was nothing to see in this man. If Noelle didn't know better, she'd think Gaster was as emotionless as a rock. But she __did__ know better. Asgore kept going:  
"And this, is not to mention the pain you caused to my family. You know Gaster, the day I found out about the experiments on Sans and Papyrus, I thought this was the worst you could do. But it turns out I had been wrong: you __did do__ worse…"  
Asgore's orange and blue eyes were flashing in those same colors, which meant that the king was angry, disappointed and sad. But as for Gaster, still no hint of what he was feeling could be seen.  
"Is there anything you'd want to reply to this?" - Asgore asked.  
"No. I know what I did, and I completely realize the impact my deeds got on others. There is no excuse for what I've done, so I have nothing to say in my defense. I'll accept any form of punishement you decided to inflict me."  
Gaster was speaking with a voice that was devoid of any emotion (even without understanding wingdings, it could be heard). His face and posture were still impassive. __"Gaster, what the heck..?!"__ \- Noelle mentally exclaimed.  
"So... Is that all you have to say?" - Asgore asked, arching an eyebrow.  
"I have nothing to add, Your Majesty." - Gaster replied.  
Noelle was slowly shaking her head at the scientist's behaviour. Gaster noticed, so his gaze met hers for a brief moment, before he quickly looked away. Gaster's gaze was again fixated in front of him, but without looking in the king's eyes.  
"Well, if you really have nothing else to say…" - Asgore said with a sigh, almost as though he had expected to actually hear anything from Gaster - "...then I'm going to tell you what the Council decided. They tasked me to take all the necessary measures so you won't ever be any threat to society. Which means that I cannot let you be free. Tomorrow evening, Undyne will bring you to my throne room, and then… I'll have to escort you to the place where you'll serve your punishement."  
Gaster didn't reply anything. Soon, Asgore and Noelle left the room and as the two were walking long the corridor, Asgore said with a serious and quiet tone:  
"I really hoped he'd try to defend himself or apologize… But he didn't. Literally nothing came out of him. What is on his mind right now? __What is he feeling?__ I really can't tell."  
"But you know him for so long now." - Noelle remarked - "You should know that there's probably more than what he lets on."  
"Probably. But we're in a situation where I cannot decide his fate basing on pure suppositions." - Asgore replied - "Right now, Gaster looks like someone who doesn't care anymore. And it's disappointing. Had he displayed any form of regret, or… __anything__, it would mean that there's still a __living__ man within, and thus someone redeemable. But…"  
Asgore didn't finish and Noelle understood what he meant. But the woman wasn't about to give up. She __knew__ that there was still something alive within Gaster's soul. She also knew exactly what, or rather __who__, kept his soul alive: Sam and Piper.  
"But let's say Gaster did display emotions… would you change the imprisonement modalities?" - Noelle asked inquirely - "You know there are alternatives to a prison cell, like house arrest with supervising-..."  
"If Gaster had a different behaviour, I could look into alternatives. But we can't reason with 'what ifs', it's pointless. I can't allow myslef to reason that way, because I am a ruler, and being a ruler implies making difficult objective decisions."  
Now, Noelle knew she just reached something important. If she could convince Gaster to speak his mind to Asgore, the skeleton probably had a chance. __Maybe__ he would be allowed to stay in closer contact with his children. It was worth a try. Asgore noticed that Noelle stopped walking and was a bit behind. He turned around and asked:  
"Um... What's wrong? Let's go."  
"I... I'll stay here for a little while. There's something I must try." - Noelle replied thoughtfully.  
"Do you... want to talk with Gaster? To see what's on his mind?" - Asgore asked, raising an eyebrow.  
"Well... yes."  
"He didn't want to open up to me. Do you think he would to you?"  
"We'll never know for sure if I don't try." - Noelle said with a determined tone - "Look, I know it sounds like a desperate attempt, but it's Something that I must do."  
"...Alright. I have a feeling I won't be able to make you change your mind." - Asgore replied, then let out a chuckle - "You got your determination from your mother."  
Noelle's cheeks turned slightly pink at the statement. Asgore smiled a little, then proceeded to walk away after making sure that Noelle remembered the way back to New Home. When the king was gone, Noelle rushed back to Gaster's room. She opened the door so suddenly, that she made the skeleton jump a bit.  
"N-Noelle..? I thought you were gone…" - he said.  
"I couldn't go away now, because of my promise I made to you." - Noelle replied - "I told you that I'd help you through the difficult path of redemption. Well, I'm starting by telling you a helpful advice: stop acting emotionless. I mean… why the heck were you acting like that in front of Asgore?"  
"I merely stated facts. There's nothing I can say in my defense, because nothing can excuse my actions." - Gaster repeated what he said earlier.  
"But that's not the point! The whole point is about letting know that you're sorry for what you did!"  
Gaster looked away from Noelle and with a sigh, sat down on his bed. After a hesitation, Noelle approached and sat down next to him on her turn. The closeness made Gaster uncomfortable, so he slightly sat aside, to make a bigger distance between him and Noelle. After a short moment, Noelle spoke:  
"Look, I think I get why you were being so impassive… Vulnerability can be scary. When you hide your emotions, it becomes a little easier to cope with some things. You know, when I first met you and later on, you didn't give me the best impression of yourself. I mostly saw you as a cold and emotionless guy…"  
"Hmm, you flatterer!" - Gaster said with what looked like a pleased grin.  
But Noelle saw right throught it. She couldn't be fooled anymore.  
"And there it is again... your mask." - Noelle said with a sigh, then pursued her former thought - "After I restored this world and you had your breakdown, I saw something else in you."  
Gaster winced a bit when Noelle mentioned his breakdown from a few days ago. He was still embarrassed for having let himself taken over by emotions, and in front of Noelle that is. Then, he looked at the woman with a puzzled look and asked, regarding her latest statement:  
"What is that you 'saw' in me?"  
"I saw that you were __feeling__." - Noelle answered - "And this means that you're not a hopeless case. You can still be… 'saved', so to speak. But that is only if __you let me__ save you."  
"What you see in me is surely an illusion. By trying to 'save' me, you'll only waste your time and energy." - Gaster replied as he looked down with a frown.  
"If it was truly the case, I wouldn't be there right now." - Noelle stated seriously - "Tell me Gaster, do you regret what you did?"  
"...I do. But you know that being sorry won't change anything. So there's no point in apologizing."  
"There is a point, Gaster. It's true that an apology won't change what you did, but it will change everything regarding your relationship with others. They'll see you in a better light."  
"But they shouldn't see me in a better light! Just look me in the eyes and say that I don't deserve to be punished!" - Gaster challenged Noelle as he turned to her.  
"It's… It's not up to me to judge. I'm not thrilled to see you punished, I told you that I forgive you. Now it's about your children, Gaster..! It's about your family! Don't you want to keep it intact? Don't you want to see Sam and Piper? Do you think they'll easily accept your imprisonment? They miss you! They want to see you so badly. They constantly wonder how you're doing down here all by yourself. You don't want to lose your kids, do you?"  
"No. But haven't I already lost them?"  
"You __will__ if you __don't do__ _anything_ about it!" - Noelle said firmly, then sighed and after a short pauze, she spoke again - "Do you remember the last time you've seen them?"  
"Of course I do. It was shortly before you undid the De-Code. In fact, it was right before you and I descended to the hidden floor of the powerhouse." - Gaster answered, as a sad smile appeared on his face - "You told them to go home, because you didn't want them to watch you hurt yourself."  
"Exactly. Then they walked away, while you and I entered the powerhouse. The mood between you three was very tensed due to my realization of the truth, and so you didn't exchange any words." - Noelle reminded - "Do you really want __this__ to be your last memory of you three?"  
A silence fell in the small bedroom. Gaster turned away after Noelle's question. Then, his hands gripped tightly on the grey pants and the skeleton's entire body tensed. Noelle's words seemingly impacted Gaster and so he was trying to keep himself together. Noelle noticed this and a frown of concern appeared on her features. She was about to ask Gaster if he was alright, but he finally answered to her previous question.  
"N-no… I don't want that…" - he said quietly.  
"Good, we are getting somewhere!" - Noelle exclaimed with a small smile - "If you really want your chance with the children, then you'll have to let Asgore hear you. I mean, the __true__ you, whatever is on your SOUL. Not the emotionless and factual 'mask' you're so used to put on. So __please__ __do as I say__ and __don't screw this up__!"  
"What exactly am I supposed to say?" - Gaster asked.  
"Hmm… When you'll be facing Asgore, imagine it's not him you're talking to. Imagine as though you're writing another entry in your journal. That way, words should come out more naturally." - Noelle advised.  
Gaster wordlessly nodded. If he tried that way, maybe things would go a little better… But then, he took a more straight posture and looked at Noelle with a suspicious eye.  
"What?" - she asked.  
"How do you know I write entries in a journal?" - Gaster asked with an arched eyebrow.  
Without saying a word, Noelle just gestured towards the pillow. Gaster turned around and saw that from beneath the pillow, a corner of a notebook could be seen.  
"...Oh." - was all Gaster said.  
He then awkwardly slid his journal further under his pillow, and his cheekbones flushed red in embarrassement. Noelle tried her best to suppress her amused smile, without much success.

The next evening, Undyne brought Gaster to Asgore's throne room as it was planned. Gaster's hands were chained in handcuffs and his body was slightly shuddering from the anticipation of the punishement to come. He had also been keeping Noelle's words in his mind since the previous day. Even though Gaster didn't really believe that telling Asgore what was on his SOUL would help in any way, he would do it regardless. Soon, the skeleton was standing in the middle of the throne room, and in the two thrones, were sitting Asgore and Toriel. Both had serious looks on their faces. The tension raised quickly, both in the air and within Gaster's bones.  
"You are dismissed, Undyne." - Asgore said.  
With a nod, Undyne left the throne room in the direction of the surface. After a moment, Asgore spoke up:  
"You know why you're here, Wing Dings Gaster. Tonight, I'm officially pronouncing your sentence. You are guilty for sending the population of the land of Humans and Monsters to another world and replacing the people's memories by false ones. Do you have anything to say in your defense?"  
Another silence passed. Asgore took this as a negative answer, so he said:  
"If you have nothing to say, I shall…-"  
"Actually..." - Gaster said quietly, making Asgore stop - "There is something I wish to say."  
Asgore and Toriel exchanged a look, then they looked back at the skeleton.  
"We are listening, Gaster." - Toriel said.  
Gaster closed his eyes, inhaled and exhaled slowly. He had to imagine that he was writing in his journal, just like Noelle advised him to do. After a short moment, he spoke up.  
"I will say again that nothing can excuse my actions, because it's true. I destroyed our world to implement it into another one in order to ease the weight of my previous crimes regarding Sans and Papyrus. I acted driven by a purely selfish need. I thought that if everyone had their memories erased, they wouldn't remember what I did and so I could live a normal life again. But once it happened, my satisfaction lasted for a short while. For some reason... the new life didn't provide me as much happiness as I expected. Each day, month, year that went by, made it more and more obvious. I realized that the smallest things that used to provide me some joy no longer did. Nothing could make me feel content, nothing could fulfill the void inside… My guess is that it was because the life I was living was all fake, just like my relationship with the others. Back then, I was constantly telling myself that I wanted to make the others forget about my sins. But the truth is… that it wasn't them I was trying to make forget. It was __myself__. It was a foolish attempt to forget the man I let myself become… I see now that this was why I felt so empty inside for thirteen years. Until two children appeared in my life."  
Gaster got a small sad smile on his face as he thought about the twins. Asgore and Toriel were silent as they expected Gaster to keep going. The former Royal Scientist pursued:  
"Of course, the first days were pretty messy. I had no clue at how to be a father, and even now I'm not sure I'm fulfilling this role properly. But what I am sure of is that without Sam and Piper… I wouldn't feel alive. They quickly filled my SOUL with joy, happiness and… love. Things I was pretty sure I could feel no longer. But I could feel them again, thanks to the twins I decided to adopt. Heh… I guess it was the only right decision I made in my life… If only they knew what they mean to me. But I'm the only one to blame for them to not know. I barely told them that I... __those three words__. I wish I did things better with them. I don't care that my De-Code is undone, I don't care that I'll spend the rest of my life in a cell..! But I do feel sorry that I ruined my own children's lives too… It's one of the many regrets I have. And like for my other crimes, I have no excuse… There's no excuse…"  
As Gaster looked down, one single tear fell down his cheek before hitting the ground near his feet. Gaster then looked at the royal couple again and said with a slightly trembling tone:  
"That's... that's all I had to say."  
Asgore and Toriel looked at each other again. The queen then lightly nodded at her husband, after what Asgore spoke up:  
"Now that you finished your confession, we - King Asgore of monsterkind - are escorting you to the place where you'll purge your sentence."  
The king and queen stood up and, while Toriel stayed at her spot, Asgore walked up to Gaster. The latter looked up at his king with sadness and despair.  
"Follow me." - the king said.  
Gaster did as ordered. The two men crossed the throne room and Gaster realized that they were both walking in the direction of the Surface. __"That's odd…"__ \- Gaster thought - __"Oh, I get it. He'll escort me to the human prison. Ha… I guess it's the perfect punishement for me: to spend the rest of my life in a completely human environement."__ When the two made it outside, Gaster saw the lights from the Monster Village from afar. They kept walking in that direction and Gaster was estimating how long it would take to reach the (human) city. __"From what I know, driving there takes approximatively thirty minutes."__ \- he thought. They were now walking across the streets of the village. __"Damn, this is too long! I want this to be over already..! But at the same time, I want to never reach the destination…"__ As he was musing on his paradoxal feelings, the king suddenly stopped. Naturally, Gaster stopped too. He looked up at the king, wondering why he stopped. Then, the king said something Gaster the least expected:  
"There we are. You are sentenced to spend your life in this house."  
Confused, Gaster looked at the house Asgore showed him. It was a completely normal house, nothing unusual. Was it some joke? Gaster looked up at Asgore with a weird look and the king answered the unspoken question.  
"I know what you're thinking. I am completely serious, this is where you'll live from now on. Of course, you'll be constantly supervised. You'll be wearing an ankle monitor. Alphys also installed cameras in every room of your house, except for the bathroom, so we'll know what you're doing. If you'll be doing anything suspicious, we'll know and you'll be sent to an actual jail. The same applies if you try to run away. So, I hope you won't throw this chance of a relatively normal life through the window."  
"W...What..?"  
Gaster tried to process the information. So, he wasn't being sent to prison? And the house seemed a bit too big for just one person. Did that mean..?  
Gaster's train of thoughts got interrupted as the front door suddenly opened and Alphys walked up to Gaster and Asgore. She was holding a device in her hands and Gaster immedately guessed what it was.  
"Your Majesty… D-Dr Gaster... S-Shall we g-go inside?" - Alphys said - "Everything had been set up. W-We just need to finish this by p-putting on the bracelet around your a-ankle, Dr Gaster."  
"I... I don't understand…" - Gaster said quietly, then looked up at Asgore - "Why…?"  
"When you told me and Toriel your confession, you showed that you're a man who can still be redeemed. And if we put you behind bars, we'd simply kill that man in you. But in this house, a compromise is made: you won't be a threat to society while you'll still have your second chance."  
"But you must have installed the system beforehand! You couldn't have known what I would say, or if I would say anything at all!" - Gaster pointed out.  
"I didn't know for sure. But... a part of me still hoped that you would display your feelings." - Asgore said with a small smile - "Now, let's head inside and finish the process."  
The three went inside and it didn't take long for Alphys to put the electronic bracelet around Gaster's ankle. Once she was done, she wished a good evening to Asgore and Gaster before going at her home. Asgore then noticed that Gaster had a blank look and guessed that he probably didn't fully process yet. The king knelt down to Gaster and said gently:  
"I couldn't deprive you from your children, having lost two of mine myself."  
"Your Majesty... Does this mean..?"  
"Yes, Gaster. Sam and Piper shall be here at any moment now."  
As though fate set up a perfect timing, a knock on the door got heard. Asgore opened it and on the other side were standing Noelle and the twins. Gaster and the two children looked at each other. For a moment, nobody said anything. The children seemed to admire their father's skeletal looks, seeing it for the first time. Then, Piper rushed to her father, crying out:  
"Dad..!"  
She hugged her father tightly and burried her face in his grey turtleneck. Gaster gently wrapped his arms around his daughter's arms and asked:  
"Piper, are you... crying..?"  
"I'm sorry... It's just... I'm so happy to see you again." - Piper replied as her body was slightly shaking - "I thought I'd never see you again! Asgore and Toriel were saying that you'd be imprisoned and… I kept hoping that things would get better and that we could still…"  
No more words were needed, Gaster knew exactly what Piper meant. After all, he was going through almost the same thing. He rubbed her back in an attempt to calm her down, then knelt to her and said:  
"No need to cry anymore. We are back together, that's all that matters."  
"But you are crying too…" - Piper said.  
Gaster brought his hand to his face and felt that there were indeed tears in his eyesockets.  
"I... I didn't even notice..."  
At that moment, Sam approached his father on his turn. Gaster looked at him and put his hand over his shoulder. He wasn't sure what to say, because he didn't know what was going on in Sam's head. Then, Sam wrapped his arms around Gaster too.  
"So... You don't hate me, Sam...?" - the skeleton asked.  
A part of him thought that Sam would hate him after everything was over, now that his true self had been exposed. He recalled Sam's version of "Hanzel & Gretel", in which things didn't end well. But the story turned out to be nothing but a fairytale, because Sam answered:  
"I never hated you. I just wanted you to stop lying to us. I just needed to know that you were sorry and that deep down... there was a better man within you. I'm glad to know that there is."  
Gaster felt emotional and hugged his both children tightly to his chest. After a moment of silence, Gaster said:  
"Sam, Piper... I know I rarely said this out loud, which I regret... But I need you to know that I... __I love you__."  
Both children's eyes widened in pleasant surprise. The two of them hugged Gaster again, even more warmly and Piper exclaimed:  
"Oh, but I love you too!"  
Sam didn't say the same words (he's never been too much into sentimental stuff), but he gave his father a genuine smile. Asgore and Noelle were watching the scene with smiles on their own.  
"Okay, I think I'll just leave the children's things there and go." - Noelle said as she put the bags with the twins' belongings on the floor - "Have a good evening everyone."  
Gaster and Noelle then exchanged looks, which meant respectively "thank you" and "you're welcome". Asgore and Noelle then left the house to go at their homes. Noelle's home wasn't far away from Gaster's house, so she made it there in less than a minute. Her parents were sitting on the couch in the living room and as Noelle approached them, Frisk said:  
"I heard from Mom that Gaster 'passed the test'. You did great, Noelle."  
"Thank you. Gaster and the twins just reunited. It was a surprisingly beautiful sight." - Noelle said with a smile, then sat down on the floor in a way to face her both parents - "You know, as I fixed their family… I realized that I wanted to fix ours. Without waiting any longer. Because I have so many questions..! About this world, about magic, about monsters... and about __you__."  
"THAT WAS ABOUT TIME!" - Papyrus exclaimed with a beaming smile and shining eyes.  
"What do you want to know?" - Frisk asked with an excited expression.  
"I... I don't know..! There are too many things, I don't know where to start..!" - Noelle replied as she felt her own excitement rise - "Well, let's start by... How did you two meet?"  
"OH, IT'S A LONG STORY! BUT IT'S THE MOST AWESOME ONE! YOU WILL LOVE IT!" - Papyrus replied.  
"It all started when I decided to climb Mount Ebott..." - Frisk started.  
The three spent a good evening together. Frisk told everything about her adventure in the Underground, Papyrus was adding details from his own point of view. Noelle was of course asking even more questions and it was only a pleasure for her parents to answer them all. They shared a few laughs as Noelle was knowing her family better. At some point they woke Sans up and so they invited him to join them. Frisk seemed to be warming up to him again. That night, the world seemed just perfect.

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**A/N: As you may have noticed, I made a reference to Zarla's little comic where the mouse writes that Gaster is a "cold and unfeeling mad scientist" and Gaster got all pleased, lol. Noelle uses a slightly different term, but "unfeeling" and "emotionless" are synonims. Gaster was pretending to like how she used to see him, but of course it's merely his "defense" of a sort. After all, Noelle's slowly but surely invading his inner world, and it makes him all uncomfortable, hehe.**


	23. Chapter 23

**Hey, guys! Sorry it took me a bit long to upload a new chapter. But it's here now, so enjoy! ^^**

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Noelle, Frisk and Papyrus were busy replacing the furniture in Noelle's bedroom. After all, the way too small closet and desk were of no use for a twenty-five years old woman. The bed too, even though Noelle could technically still sleep on it, was too low. So, everything was being replaced by a set of furniture of a more appropriate size. Sam and Piper were there too, since Noelle had to do something with her old toys. Noelle couldn't and wouldn't just throw those away, that's why most of it would go to the attic. But like she had promised, if there was anything the twins liked, they could keep it.  
"Oh, this one is cute!" - Piper exclaimed as she took a beige plushie dog in a triped blue and purple sweater - "I'll keep it!"  
"WAIT, ISN'T IT THE ONE UNDYNE RUINED ONCE?" - Papyrus asked as he saw what toy Piper chose.  
"Yeah, I think it is!" - Frisk confirmed, then turned to Noelle - "Undyne was demonstrating her fighting skills and got too carried away, which resulted in decapitating the plushie."  
"Undyne had mentioned the incident…" - Noelle replied as she recalled her recent encounter with the fish lady.  
"So yeah, it was this toy." - Frisk said, then added with an amused look - "Since you wouldn't stop crying, your father was trying to make you stop by saying: 'Don't cry! When you cry, I want to cry too!'."  
"Aw, you're so sweet, Papyrus." - Noelle said with an amused expression of her own.  
"What, really?!" - Sam asked as he let out a short laugh - "No way!"  
"WHAT? I DON'T LIKE ANYONE FROM MY FAMILY TO BE SAD! SO OF COURSE NOELLE'S CRYING HAD THIS EFFECT ON ME!" - Papyrus explained with, slightly embarrassed by Sam's "mockery".  
"Speaking of family…" - Piper said thoughtfully - "Since Sam and I are your grandchildren, does that mean we must call you 'grandma' and 'grandpa'?"  
Noelle looked in the direction of her parents with a curious look, wondering what they would answer to that. Papyrus was the first to answer.  
"YOU CAN CALL ME HOWEVER YOU WANT! YOU CAN CALL ME 'GRANDPA', OR JUST BY MY NAME. EITHER WAY IS OKAY TO ME!"  
"I don't know, the 'grandma' title makes me feel thirty years older…" - Frisk said with an awkward giggle - "I'd personally prefer to be called just 'Frisk'."  
"It's decided then. We'll call you both by your names." - Sam said with a smile.  
Soon, the set of furnitures got replaced and the room got a more mature appearance. Noelle's clothes were neatly folded and hanged in the new wardrobe, while the child ones were placed in a box that would go to the attic. The toys were put in a similar box, now that the twins kept the best plushies for themselves. Noelle didn't have the heart to "get rid" of the doll in the striped sweater, so she placed her on the window as a decoration and reminder. The family proceeded to take the boxes and old furnitures up to the attic. When almost everything was tidied, Papyrus said that he would make dinner for them all.  
"DO YOU KIDS WANT TO JOIN ME? I'LL SHOW YOU HOW THE GREAT PAPYRUS COOKS HIS RENOWNED SPAGHETTI!"  
"Oh, yes! I want to help!" - Piper exclaimed, thrilled by the idea to cook with him.  
"Ok, sounds like a good plan." - Sam agreed to join them.  
"We'll join you in a moment. Just one box to take care of." - Frisk informed.  
Frisk then put the last box of child clothes in the attic and when she did, she got a pensive expression with a touch of sadness on her face. Noelle noticed, so she approached her and asked softly:  
"Hey... Are you alright..?"  
"Y-yeah, I'm fine… Just thinking about… you know." - Frisk replied as she locked the door that led to the attic.  
"I often think about that too." - Noelle replied with an understanding look.  
"But I guess that we just must learn to move on. With time, the pain shall lessen… I hope." - Frisk said with a slightly distant tone, then looked at Noelle - "However, I meant what I once told you - I would've changed what happened if I still could."  
"What do you mean by… 'still'..?" - Noelle asked with a confused look - "Oh, wait. Does it have anything to do with your 'determination'? It's your ability to… go back and change things..?"  
"Yes, my determination permitted me to keep going throughout my adventure, to go back in time and retry what I was doing again." - Frisk confirmed - "This determination comes from my SOUL and its amount only grew near the end of my journey, thanks to the strong feelings I developed for everyone. It's thanks to this power that I survived in the Underground. I still had it after the breach of the Barrier, but I just never used it."  
"You didn't? Why?"  
"Because I had everything to be happy. Why would I want to change anything in my life? Everything was perfect." - Frisk answered with a light smile - "But then… When we found out what Gaster was planning, I did consider to try going back a bit earlier in the timeline, to prevent what was about to come. But my power wouldn't work. I realized that I lost it."  
"Why didn't it work?"  
"Remember what I once told you about Flowey? Until I fell down in the Underground, Flowey was the being with the highest amount of determination, so he could mess around and try the timeline over and over as he pleased."  
"Right, then you came and so he couldn't do that anymore… because your amount of determination was higher than his." - Noelle understood the logic.  
"Well, the same thing happened to me, eventually. A person around had more determination within than I."  
"Another person? Who?" - Noelle asked, but then realization hit her - "Wait… It's me?"  
Frisk nodded. Noelle recalled what everyone was saying about her SOUL. Since it was a hybrid SOUL, it had more determination than the others, having got that from a determined human and a monster.  
"I realized that my ability was lost since your birth. I don't miss that power to be honest, since I never used it after we all made it to the Surface anyway." - Frisk's tone then grew very serious - "You can guess that you are now the one to possess it."  
"That makes sense."  
"I have just one request to you: don't toy with the timeline. The power to go back and change things can be very tempting. But you know what happened to Flowey. Don't repeat his mistakes, don't try to experiment with the possibilities." - Frisk advised her daughter - "The potential of that power can be scary… So please Noelle, try to do things right at the very start, to not have anything to regret later."  
"I think I understand…" - Noelle said thoughtfully - "But what if someday, using that power turns out to be very necessary?"  
"Let's hope we won't come to that. But if anything happens, it'll be your responsability to do what you believe to be right. I'm just asking you to not treat your inborn ability as a __game__."  
"Okay... I guess I'll just live my life, pretending this power doesn't exist." - Noelle replied with a shrug.  
"I think it's the best option. But there are other abilities you __can__ learn and use as you please. If you're interested, ask your father and he'll teach you!" - Frisk said with a easier tone.  
"The same powers skeletons have?" - Noelle asked, getting a nod for response - "I guess why not..?"  
Noelle wasn't sure yet about this, having been a normal person her entire life, but she guessed that if it turned to be necessary, she would go ask Papyrus to teach her. The two women then finally descended the stairs and went to the kitchen, where they saw Papyrus, Sam and Piper making the dinner.  
Soon it was ready and the family dined together in a good mood. Sam and Piper were more than happy to get to know their grandparents and Sans better. They knew them well in the comic book, but when they were actually telling them things, they had a better insight of them. The twins were also getting a bit closer to Noelle. When they finished dining, Noelle escorted the twins back to their new house. It was dark outside and she couldn't let them wander around alone.  
"Good night, kids. Take care of Gaster. Keep in mind he's not as lucky as you are." - Noelle said before leaving.  
Sam and Piper entered the house and saw that the light in the living room was lit on, and quickly found their father asleep on the couch, with an open book lying on his chest. He obviously fell asleep while he was reading. Gaster had a peaceful expression on his face, so this meant he either had a pleasant dream, or that he wasn't dreaming at all. Either way was good. The kids approached the sleeping skeleton and as Sam sat on the couch at the level of Gaster's legs, Piper sat on the floor and shook his arm slightly. Gaster let out a tired sound then murmured:  
"Toriel..."  
Of course, since he wasn't signing in his sleep, Piper and Sam didn't get what he said. After a short moment, Gaster opened his eyes and saw the two children stare at him.  
"Hm? You're home..." - Gaster stated as he rubbed his eyesockets before sitting down - "How was your day with your… family?"  
"It was great. Piper and I helped Papyrus at cooking." - Sam replied.  
"By the way, Papyrus says 'hi' and that he hopes you're doing alright." - Piper informed.  
"Why am I not surprised…" - Gaster commented.  
"So... how were you doing here alone?" - Piper asked - "How was __your__ day?"  
"Nothing much happened, as you can guess. After browsing through the hate comments on social media, I spent my time reading." - Gaster answered - "Then I fell asleep as you could see… What time is it, by the way?"  
"It's almost 9:00 pm." - Sam replied after checking the time.  
"Hmm, you shall go to bed soon, then." - Gaster replied.  
"What were you dreaming about? You looked unusually peaceful." - Sam commented.  
"So, are you saying I'm supposed to look troubled all the time?" - the skeleton asked, arching an eyebrow.  
"No! We're just glad you were more relaxed than usual." - Piper explained.  
Gaster sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. His daughter was right, he was more relaxed since he reunited with his children. After going through the conviction that he'd never see them again, their presence around made the weight on his SOUL fall off. Then, Gaster remembered the previously asked question and after a moment of hesitation, he decided to reply honestly. After all, his distance and secretiveness were what apparently annoyed the twins, so he guessed that speaking his mind more often would improve their relationship.  
"I was dreaming of Toriel." - he said quietly.  
"Oh, I guess that's nice." - Sam remarked - "She was like a mom to you, right?"  
"...Y-yes… You could put it that way…" - Gaster replied with an uncomfortable look on his face.  
"And yet, you don't look very happy talking about her." - Piper remarked - "Why is that?"  
"Because our once good relationship got ruined by my own actions." - Gaster answered with a nervous chuckle - "She despises me for everything I've done. And of course I miss her… But I can only blame myself now."  
"Did she tell you she despises you?" - Sam asked curiously.  
"No. But it's obvious. She barely spoke to me since the De-Code… The day Asgore sentenced me was the only time I saw her."  
"Hmm... Maybe you should call her and apologize?" - Piper suggested.  
"It's not that easy. I disappointed her, and she hates when people she cares for disappoint her." - Gaster replied.  
"B-but if she and Asgore __both__ agreed to not put you to jail… this means she too believed that you can be better, right?" - Sam tried to reason logically.  
Gaster shrugged. He didn't seem to be that convinced. The twins felt sorry for him, so they exchanged a look that meant they decided to do something about the situation.

Meanwhile, Noelle was dealing with another skeleton. After she left the children at the porch of their and Gaster's house, on her way back home she noticed through the window of Grillby's that Sans was there. With a sigh, she walked in and after greeting Grillby with a light nod, she approached Sans from behind and startled him by suddenly wrapping her arm around him.  
"What are you doing here, Sans? We had dinner about thirty minutes ago!"  
"noelle... hehe, i know, but i needed some more ketchup." - Sans replied - "you know I never get enough of it."  
"I still don't get how you can actually __drink it from the bottle__..?" - Noelle commented, as she made a subtle face of disgust - "I mean, it's disgusting..!"  
"dunno, i like it." - Sans replied with a shrug - "ketchup's my one true love… a partner can leave at any moment, while ketchup'll always be there."  
"Okayyy... I think you're getting tired, Sans. I'll take you home and you'll have a good sleep… even though you've already slept through a good part of the afternoon… You're a bit weird, you know that?"  
"can't help it. it's my 'condition'." - Sans replied before taking another sip from the bottle - "we can't leave until i finish this bottle."  
"Fine. I'll wait then." - Noelle said as she sat next to Sans, crossing her arms.  
As she watched him take another sip, she noted that magic was an odd thing. How could he eat with an unmoving mouth? And as she questioned magic, her mind went back to what Frisk told her before dinner. Sans noticed Noelle's suddenly thoughtful expression, so he asked:  
"what's on your mind, kid?"  
"It's nothing... Just thinking about magic." - Noelle replied.  
"oh? and what's about magic you're thinking so hard of?"  
"Frisk suggested me to ask Papyrus to teach me magic."  
"i think it's a good idea. ya really should do that." - Sans said with a confident tone.  
"You think so...? I don't know, I've always been… well, a normal person. I'm not sure I'm ready to become something different." - Noelle shared her thoughts.  
"dontcha want to be your __true __self? magic's part of who you are, ya can't deny that. it has always been in you." - Sans remarked - "you're in a pretty good shape, you survived through the process of undoing the de-code. i'm saying you have a great potential, noelle. it would be a shame to make it go to waste."  
"But what if magic's not really my thing?" - Noelle asked with slight hesitation.  
"ya won't know 'til you try."  
"It's funny to hear that from a guy who barely tries anything." - Noelle teased him - "But I guess I have nothing to lose. Maybe I will actually like it..?"  
"i'm sure you will. magic's pretty much fun. when not misused of course."  
Sans' eyesockets then suddenly grew dark. Noelle understood that he thought of something unpleasant. Maybe a bad memory? But she couldn't be sure. Concerned, Noelle asked if he was okay.  
"yeah, i'm fine." - he said with a easy tone - "ok, i think i finished my bottle. we can go home now."  
Noelle nodded in response. Soon, the two exited the restaurant and as Sans was getting sleepy, he asked Noelle if she could carry him back home. But like he expected, she refused.  
"I'm not your brother, Sans." - she said with a sigh - "You're a grown man, you can manage a short walk to our house."  
"you're being ungrateful." - Sans replied - "when you were a kid, i'd always pick you up when you asked."  
"Like you said, I was a kid."  
"fine then. i'll manage back home on my own."  
As soon as he said that, he suddenly disappeared from the sight. This left Noelle completely dumbfounded and after a moment, she whispered to herself:  
"What the __heck__..?"

The next day, the twins paid a visit to Toriel. They thought that if they talked with her directly, they could make her and Gaster reconcile. They found the female goat monster alone in the house. She greeted them with her usual warmth.  
"Where's Asgore?" - Sam asked curiously.  
"He went to the city, he has a meeting there." - Toriel answered - "Shall you have some cocoa?"  
"Yes, thank you." - Piper said polity.  
As Toriel proceeded to make it, the twins looked at each other, thinking about how they could bring up why they came. The silence in the kitchen made Toriel look at the two and ask:  
"So, what brings you here, my children? Is there something you want to talk about?"  
"Yes, there is." - Sam confirmed - "But it's, uh... a bit delicate."  
"Well, whatever it is, you have all my attention." - Toriel said with a warm smile - "You can tell me anything."  
She then brought the two cups of cocoa to the kids, before sitting down. Toriel looked at them expectingly and since none of the twins dared to speak, she encouraged them gently:  
"I'm listening. Don't be afraid, I won't bite."  
"Okay, it's about our dad." - Piper said.  
Toriel's face fell a bit at that. But she nodded, as a sign that the kids could go on.  
"We came because he's sad you're mad at him." - Sam explained - "He does understand you have the right to be mad, but he misses you."  
"Sam and I thought that maybe you could... talk with him? Try to forgive?" - Piper suggested.  
"I see..." - Toriel said quietly.  
"You have the right to be mad, Toriel. We get that." - Sam said, thinking it might put the monster more at ease - "I was mad too, during the De-Code. But I'm making an effort to forgive and to give our father a second chance."  
"So, if we could forgive him, you can forgive him too, right?" - Piper asked.  
"I... I don't know what to say to this..." - Toriel said as she gazed down sadly.  
"Are you saying you can't forgive him...?" - Sam asked.  
"No, it's not what I'm saying. It's... a bit complicated."  
"But why? When we're family, we're supposed to forgive!" - Piper said with conviction - "I thought __you were__ his family…"  
"I just... I'm just not sure if I'm ready to see him yet."  
Sam and Piper exchanged a worried glance. Why wasn't she ready? Was she that mad at Gaster? It was true that his actions crossed the line, but still…  
"So you really despise him now?" - Piper asked with a sad look.  
"'D-despise' him..? What makes you say that?" - Toriel asked back.  
"That's what our father said. He believes that because you never came to see him, unlike Asgore." - Sam answered.  
"Gaster thinks I despise him... Oh dear." - Toriel breathed out as her hand covered her mouth a little.  
"Sooo... do you? Or not?" - Sam frowned, not understanding anymore.  
"I... You know, enough about that. The issue concerns me and Gaster, it's not about you." - Toriel said as she stood up - "We'll solve it - or not - when the right time comes. You shouldn't get involved in that."  
"But..." - Piper started, but Toriel silenced her with a hand gesture.  
The kids then looked down and proceeded to drink their cocoa. They understood that insisting wouldn't make them progress. The two were also a bit disappointed that they failed at making their father's life easier. But unfortunately, some things were simply not in their power.

Meantime, Noelle approached Papyrus, who was busy to vacuum the living room. Papyrus was wearing rubber gloves, a bandana on his head, and an apron with a heart. Noelle smiled to herself, because she thought that Papyrus looked adorable in his chores outfit. She then poked his shoulder, making the skeleton yelp and blench in surprise. Papyrus turned around and when he saw it was Noelle, he turned off the vacuum cleaner.  
"YOU STARTLED ME..!" - Papyrus commented.  
"Sorry, Papyrus. Do you have a moment?"  
"SURE! THE GREAT PAPYRUS ALWAYS HAS TIME FOR HIS DAUGHTER!" - Papyrus declared - "SO, WHAT IS IT NOELLE?"  
"It's nothing big, really... But I was thinking that maybe you could… I mean, I was wondering if you would… uh, teach me… a bit of… magic..?" - Noelle asked - "Since I apparently have it."  
As soon as she asked him, Papyrus' eyesockets started to shine. It was almost as though there were stars in them. Papyrus exclaimed with a bright smile:  
"WOWIE! OF COURSE I WILL TEACH YOU! I ALWAYS DREAMED OF THE DAY I'D TEACH YOU BONE ATTACKS AND EVENTUALLY SEE YOU MAKE YOUR OWN PATTERNS! AND TODAY, YOU'RE ASKING ME JUST THAT! IT'S A DREAM COMING TRUE!"  
The skeleton then pulled his daughter into a tight hug. Noelle winced at first, due to the tightness that hurt a bit, but she also felt a nice warmth. There was something comforting in this boney embrace. Was it how someone's love felt like? Papyrus then suddenly let go of Noelle and apologized:  
"SORRY, YOU TOLD ME I'M A BIT TOO BONEY FOR YOU. I'LL REMEMBER TO BE GENTLER NEXT TIME."  
"It's alright, Papyrus. It still felt nice, in a way." - Noelle reassured him.  
"NYEHEHEH! OF COURSE, WHO WOULDN'T LIKE A HUG FROM THE GREAT PAPYRUS?" - the skeleton said with a light blush - "ANYWAY, I MUST FINISH THE CHORES. IT'S NOT SANS WHO WILL! WE'LL START YOUR LESSONS TOMORROW."  
Papyrus then resumed the vacuuming and Noelle chuckled a little to his enthousiasm. The woman then noticed Frisk who was standing leaned to the kitchen doorframe with a smile on her face. Noelle stood up and walked up to her.  
"You've been watching us?" - she asked.  
"I couldn't help it, after hearing Papyrus getting all loud." - Frisk replied with a shrug - "But seeing you two having a moment… was like a treat to my heart."  
"Wait a sec... Is that why you wanted I ask Papyrus to teach me magic?" - Noelle asked as she narrowed her eyes at Frisk.  
"You got me. Papyrus had been a bit down lately, because you're being a little too distant to his liking." - Frisk explained - "So, I thought that he'd like if you asked him to teach you magic."  
"He'd been down?" - Noelle was surprised - "I didn't notice... He always seemed in a good mood."  
"Well, I spend more time with him than you do." - Frisk stated, but there was no reproach in her voice.  
"Oh... Well, I guess that if it'll make him happy, I'm more willing to learn magic."  
Frisk smiled again, glad to hear that from her daughter.

Later that evening, as Gaster and the children were watching a movie together, a ring of the doorbell got heard. Gaster stood up and walked to open the door, while wondering who that could be. When he opened the door and saw who it was, he got frozen out of surprise. It was __Toriel__.  
"Y-Your Majesty..." - Gaster breathed out in shock after a moment of silence.  
"May I come in, Gaster?"  
"Y-yes, of course."  
Gaster stepped aside, to allow the queen of monsters to enter the house. The two walked to the living room and the twins were surprised to see that Toriel changed her mind after all.  
"May I ask you what's the reason of your visit, Your Majesty?" - Gaster asked.  
"I'm here because I realized we need to talk." - Toriel said seriously - "Or rather, your children made me realize that."  
Gaster gave his children a look that meant 'You told her, didn't you?' Sam and Piper grew a bit nervous and ashamed, but Gaster looked more annoyed than mad.  
"Sam, Piper, can you leave us alone for a moment, please?" - the skeleton then requested.  
The two did as he asked, so Gaster and Toriel were alone now. The two adults then sat down on the couch and after a moment of unbearable silence, Toriel spoke:  
"I shall be clear - I'm still pretty mad for what you've done, Gaster. I am very disappointed, I never thought that you, out of all people I knew, would go this far. But… after your children paid me a visit today, I realized that a talk was in order."  
"What did they tell you exactly?" - Gaster asked.  
"They said you're convinced that I... despise you." - Toriel answered - "Even though, like I said, I still need time to properly… move on, I was surprised to hear that you'd think I hate you. But I'll tell you that… I don't."  
"You don't..?"  
"No. I hate your actions, that's sure. But... after everything we went through together, did you really think I could bring myslef to hate you?" - Toriel finished with a softer tone - "Your children pointed out that we're family, and so we should eventually overcome what happened and… forgive. This forced me to face the real problem."  
Toriel pauzed. Since she was struggling to keep going, Gaster asked quietly:  
"What is the real problem?"  
"The problem is... that I feel guilty towards you, Gaster." - Toriel answered honestly.  
Her answer definitely shocked Gaster. He really wasn't expecting this.  
"What? But __I__ am the one who caused pain __to you__ and the others. If anyone has to feel guilty, it's me! How could you possibly-"  
"Remember that day during the war? When you were forced to… kill for the first time?" - Toriel interrupted him, but her question made Gaster nod slowly - "That day, I said 'as long as I am with you, I will do my best to protect you, so you won't have to do such things again'. But… it turns out that I failed you. The day Asgore declared war against humanity, the day I left… I pretty much pushed you to do 'such things' again. I left you too that day, and I can't help but think that if I didn't, you wouldn't be so desperate to save Asgore. And we wouldn't come to all this now."  
"Your Majesty, what are you saying? It was in no way your fault!" - Gaster exclaimed - "I made my own decisions, I was fully conscious of what I was doing. It were __my__ choices and __mine only__, which turned out to be the wrong ones. I am the only one to blame for my actions."  
"It may be so, but I still feel that I'm partially responsible. That's why I didn't want to even say a word to you when you were awaiting your punishement. It was because I couldn't help but think 'I made him like this'. It was easier for me to cope when I kept my distances. The thought that you got to go on the wrong path because of me, when I said I'd do the opposite…" - Toriel then lowered her gaze and said no more.  
Gaster looked at her with sympathy. He had no idea Toriel would feel that way. He then - hesitantly - put his hand over Toriel's furred one and, as she looked up at him, Gaster said:  
"I can't blame you for leaving. You were dealing with grief, you had lost your children. If it happened to me, I would've reacted the same way… or worse. You aren't to blame for what I did afterwards. __Please__, don't think like that, because it's __not__ your fault."  
"You really mean it?"  
"I do. And the fact you're sill mad at me only reinforces my point. I was the one to make those mistakes, and I'm fully accepting the consequences." - Gaster said seriously - "And I'll understand perfectly if you never forgive me."  
"It's true that I can't overlook your actions. But I know for sure that forgiving you won't be impossible." - Toriel said with a shadow of a smile.  
The goat monster then gently squeezed Gaster's hand that was over hers. It was very short, but it was a good sign. Eventually, she would fully forgive. This was already enough for Gaster. Talking did good to both him and Toriel, and the skeleton mentally noted that he owed a thank you to Sam and Piper.

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**A/N: So, about the whole Toriel thing. I was once reading again some of the original "Handplates" comic pages and there was this flashback in which Toriel she'd prevent Gaster from killing again... It left a bitter taste in my mouth, because of knowing that she then left and locked herself in the Ruins. I mean, I get she didn't want to see Asgore anymore, but she could've at least let Gaster know that she was alive somewhere! Just a little sign of life, maybe? Gaster already suffered due to losing his entire family during the war, he had nobody besides the king and the queen. And Toriel left, making her "state" (dead or alive) ambiguous as if on purpose. If Toriel didn't leave (or at least let G know she was still alive), I think that Gaster wouldn't be that desperate and obsessed to save Asgore, because there would be still another person to hold into. And so, he wouldn't start his illegal experiments... So many problems could've been avoided. (I know, Sans & Papyrus wouldn't exist, etc, etc. But that's not the point here.) Think about it, if Gaster pushed himself so far to do what he did, it was because Asgore was basically his only "family" left. **  
**Gosh, I'm probably the only person in the entire "Handplates" fandom to feel that way. **  
**But I'm not saying that I hate Toriel or anything! Who doesn't love the goatmom? I agree that Gaster was the one to make his choices and that he was fully responsible of them. But Toriel just somewhat contributed to his despair. And that's sad... : (**

**The outfit described when Papyrus' doing the chores is the same one as in one of Zarla's oldest Undertale comics. I actually think that it makes Paps look adorable! 3**


	24. Chapter 24

It was a nice and calm afternoon in the Monsters Village. The weather was chilly and there was a thin layer of snow on the grass and the roofs. Papyrus and Noelle were in their garden, where the skeleton was teaching his daughter about skeleton magic.  
"ONE OF SKELETONS' ATTACKS IS TO CREATE BONES!" - Papyrus said as he created a few bones around him as a demonstration - "SEE? LIKE THIS! SINCE YOU ARE HALF-SKELETON NOELLE, THIS IS SOMETHING YOU CAN DO TOO!"  
"But how exactly do you do that?" - Noelle asked - "I must just have the proper will and make a gesture..?"  
"NOT EXACTLY. YOU MUST PICTURE IN YOUR HEAD WHAT YOU'RE DOING." - Papyrus answered - "BUT FOR STARTERS, TRY TO MAKE ONE BONE!"  
"Okay…"  
Noelle made a move with her hand, while imagining the bone appear. But it didn't work. She repeated her action several times, but the result was the same.  
"I can't do that! Maybe I don't have that ability?" - Noelle said with a sigh.  
"YOU DEFINITELY DO! I AM SURE OF THAT!" - Papyrus replied with a confident tone - "YOU MUSTN'T JUST IMAGINE THE BONE TO APPEAR, YOU MUST IMAGINE THE ENTIRE PROCESS!"  
"How so? Isn't that the same thing?"  
"NOT REALLY. CLOSE YOUR EYES IF IT HELPS AND DON'T THINK OF ANYTHING ELSE." - Papyrus instructed.  
Noelle closed her eyes and emptied her mind like Papyrus told her to do. When Papyrus saw he had her attention, he went on in his instructions.  
"IMAGINE HOW THE BONE IS FORMING ITSELF. IMAGINE ITS SIZE AND ITS COLOR."  
"Color..?" - Noelle asked.  
"BONES CAN BE EITHER WHITE OR LIGHT BLUE, BUT I'LL EXPLAIN LATER. FOR NOW, IMAGINE A BASIC WHITE BONE." - Papyrus said - "IMAGINE HOW IT'S MATERIALIZING OUT OF YOUR PURE WILL."  
Noelle did as Papyrus instructed, she visualized the bone and all its aspects: its length, its thickness and its color. (The latter aspect still made Noelle perplexed, but she decided to not question that for the moment to not lose focus.) She imagined how it was appearing right in front of her, with a distance of a few steps in between.  
"YOU DID IT, NOELLE! LOOK!"  
Noelle opened her eyes, which widened in surprise as soon as she saw that the bone had indeed materialized, at the distance she wanted, looking exactly how she imagined it.  
"Wow... I really did it..?" - Noelle asked herself as she walked closer to the bone to have a closer look.  
"I TOLD YOU YOU HAVE THIS POWER TOO!" - Papyrus said with a proud expression - "NOW THAT YOU KNOW HOW TO DO IT, WE'LL MAKE YOU TRY MAKE BONES OF DIFFERENT SIZES! WHEN YOU'LL BE AT EASE WITH THE EXERCISE, YOU'LL TRY TO SUMMON SEVERAL BONES AT A TIME!"  
Noelle nodded and, as the previous bone vanished, she created another one. She repeated the process several times, the time to summon a bone getting shorter at each try. Noelle was a quick learner. After about an hour of training, she managed to summon a dozen of bones forming a perfect circle around her.  
"WOWIE! YOU ARE DOING SO WELL!" - Papyrus complimented her, his eyes shining in wonder - "IN JUST ONE LESSON, YOU LEARNED A LOT! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AM VERY PROUD OF YOU!"  
"Th-thanks…" - Noelle replied shyly as she blushed a little - "So, what about those blue bones you told me about earlier?"  
"OH! YOU SEE, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHITE AND BLUE BONES IS IN THEIR WAY TO INFLINGE DAMAGE!" - Papyrus started to explain - "WHEN YOU'RE TOUCHED BY A WHITE BONE, YOU LOSE YOUR HP. THAT IS, YOUR HEALTH DECREASES."  
"It's like in video games." - Noelle commented.  
"YEAH, THAT'S HOW THIS WORLD WORKS." - Papyrus replied - "ANYWAY, THE BLUE BONES WORK DIFFERENTLY! IF YOU'RE TOUCHED BY ONE OF THOSE, YOU'LL GET NO DAMAGE AT ALL! AT THE CONDITION YOU WEREN'T MOVING AT THAT MOMENT."  
"So, you're saying that to not get any damage from a blue bone, I must stand completely still?" - Noelle asked to make sure she understood correctly.  
"THAT'S RIGHT!"  
"But what's the point in creating such an attack then?"  
"YOU'LL SEE WHEN WE'LL REACH THE FIGHTING PART." - Papyrus said - "OKAY, I THINK IT'S ENOUGH FOR TODAY. TOMORROW, YOU'LL LEARN TO MOVE THE BONES."  
"Isn't this a bit soon? What if I hurt you in process?" - Noelle asked with a worried tone.  
"DO NOT WORRY ABOUT ME! WE'LL BE CAREFUL." - Papyrus reassured her with a gentle smile.  
When the two entered the house, they found Sans sleeping on the couch again. Papyrus sighed in irritation and walked up to him and shook him awake. He proceeded to scold his brother for sleeping in the middle of the afternoon.  
"SERIOUSLY SANS, HOW CAN YOU SLEEP AT THIS HOUR? IT'S WAY TOO EARLY TO TAKE NAPS!"  
"cannot help it, pap. i'm _**_bone_**_-tired." - Sans replied with his usual skeleton-related pun.  
"SANS!" - Papyrus yelled in irritation - "YOU KNOW WHAT? YOUR BEHAVIOUR CAN'T RUIN MY GOOD MOOD! NOELLE IS VERY SKILLFUL AT MAGIC AND SOON, SHE'LL BE AS GREAT AS ME!"  
"you can say she was…" - Sans started with a look of mischief in his eyes.  
"SANS, DON'T YOU DARE…"  
"...**_**bone**_** to be great!"  
Papyrus let out another annoyed moan. Noelle was watching the two bickering with a smile, but then it fell. Her expression turned into one that looked like one when you see a ghost. Her eyes were looking into empty space. Sans was the first one to notice, so he asked:  
"kid, you're ok?"  
"...NOELLE?" - Papyrus went up to her and toched her shoulder.  
It brought her back to her senses. She looked at her father, then at Sans.  
"W-what..?"  
"ARE YOU OKAY?" - Papyrus asked - "YOU HAD A WEIRD LOOK ON YOUR FACE."  
"Y-yeah, I'm fine. I just got… distracted." - Noelle replied awkwardly - "My mind went elsewhere."  
"you sure?"  
"Yes, everything's okay." - Noelle replied, smiling again.  
Despite sensing that Noelle's smile and answer were unnatural, the two skeleton brothers didn't pressure the matter any further. Noelle was grateful they didn't, because she didn't want to alarm them. She got a vision. It was a bit blurry and it was gone way too soon, so Noelle wasn't exactly sure of what she saw. It was pointless to make a fuss over something that maybe was a nothing. __"It was surely just my imagination."__ \- Noelle told herself.

Meanwhile, Gaster was looking his children playing outside. He had a small smile on his face, feeling happy to see Sam and Piper being that joyful again. The kids hadn't been this way for a while now, approximately since the day Gaster told them they were adopted. Things hadn't been quite the same afterwards; a distance was being created between them and it was only getting worse after the twins found and brought with them their biological mother, Noelle. Back then, Gaster was trying to convince himself that the mother was to blame for the family problems. But now, Gaster was no longer denying that he was the one who created the said problems. __"Even before telling them the truth, I haven't always been a good father…"__ \- he thought. But now at least, he could try to be better to them. What he's told Asgore and Toriel the day he got sentenced was genuine, he really wanted Sam and Piper to never again feel unhappy because of him. As Gaster was deep in thought about that, he suddenly snapped out of it as he heard Piper yell at Sam, who was climbing a tree.  
"Go down, Sam! You're crazy, go down!" - she screamed.  
"Oh, don't fuss about it, sis." - Sam replied with a easy tone - "See, I got this!"  
"I still don't like this… It's dangerous!" - Piper insisted.  
__"Sam, please do as your sister says…"__ \- Gaster was mentally begging his son - __"Don't be a fool, descend…!"  
"__Look, I'm fine! I made it to the highest branch!" - Sam said, looking proud of himself - "See? There's no need to-"  
But right at that moment, his foot slipped and the boy fell down from the tree, hitting the ground hard. Piper let out a short scream. Gaster's eyesockets turned purple and, waiting no longer, he rushed outside. He then knelt down to his son, who was crying in pain.  
"Sam, tell me where does it hurt?!" - Gaster asked.  
"...M-my… my arm…." - Sam answered in between his uncontrolled cries.  
Gaster quickly guessed that Sam's right arm was broken. The skeleton then gently put his hands over the arm and tried to heal him. A green light got emitted from his hands, but very quickly, it faded away against Gaster's will.  
"Damn it..!" - he exclaimed in frustration - "Ugh, we'll have to take you to the hospital. Piper, go take my coat in the livi-... Piper?"  
Gaster saw that his daughter was like paralyzed and that her face was very pale. She was also shuddering. The girl seemed very uncomfortable about something and quickly enough, Gaster understood why. There was a wound on Sam's head and thus he was bleeding. Piper had a fear of blood, that was why the sight of it literally paralized her. Gaster put his hand over Piper's arm, making her come back to her senses, even though her facial expression didn't change much. But her shaking did lessen.  
"Piper, look at me, not at the blood." - Gaster gently instructed her - "Now listen, go inside and bring me my coat. I'll take Sam to the hospital."  
Piper nodded and rushed inside. She reappeared soon after, and handed Gaster his coat, along with a blue scarf. The skeleton put his coat and wrapped his scarf around his neck, then he used blue magic on Sam's SOUL to lift him up.  
"Thank you, Piper. Now go in the house and stay there until we come back."  
Gaster then wrapped his arms around his floating son and rushed in the direction of the hospital. Sam was moaning in pain, obviously suffering. Gaster had to rub the boy's shoulders a bit in order to wordlessly reassure him until they finally arrived at their destination. A rabbit nurse quickly took care of him as Gaster briefly explained what happened.  
"Alright, we got this." - she said - "Follow me, Sam. Soon, the pain will go away."  
After the rabbit nurse and Sam disappeared in the corridor, Gaster let out a sigh. He knew that from now on, Sam would be okay and so he was relieved. But the relief didn't last, as the skeleton suddenly heard a familiar female voice from behind:  
"Put your hands on your head, Gaster!"  
It was Undyne. Gaster soon realized that he went out of the zone limited by the house arrest device and thus the police had immediately been informed. He did as asked and slowly turned around to face the fish woman. Undyne was dressed in a police uniform, being a policeman in that life too.  
"I knew this day would come, but I never thought it would be THAT soon! You have no idea the crap you just fell into!" - Undyne said sternly.  
Gaster sighed. He knew that Undyne hated him pretty much after the De-Code, so he guessed she'd feel satisfied at some level if he got to be punished even harder. But Gaster hoped that she'd at least let him stay in the hospital while Sam was getting medical assistance.  
"Now we're waiting for Asgore to come." - Undyne said - "He'll instruct on the procedure that follows. Boy, will he be disappointed in you, after he gave you that last chance!"  
"I only acted to help my child." - Gaster replied with a sigh.  
"It's not my business what you were doing. It is however my business what'll be done with you next!"  
About five minutes later, Noelle showed up in the hospital, having been informed that her son was brought there. As soon as she saw Gaster, she rushed to him and asked:  
"How's Sam..?"  
"He's being taken care of by the staff." - Gaster answered.  
"Good... But what are you doing here? You're sentenced to house arrest!" - Noelle remarked with concern, then turned to Undyne - "So what now? Are you… going to arrest him?"  
"That's the procedure, Noelle. He went out of the limits settled by the device, which means he didn't respect the condition to be left under house arrest." - Undyne answered.  
"What? Can't this be overlooked just this one time?" - Noelle asked.  
"No. The condition was very clear. He stays in the house, and if he doesn't, it's the prison."  
Before Noelle had the time to protest, Asgore showed up on his turn. Gaster shuddered a bit when he saw him, fearing what would come next. After all, he did betray the king's trust.  
"Alright, summerize the situaion." - Asgore ordered to Undyne.  
"As you can see, Gaster __deliberately__, and __fully conscious__ of his deed, left the house!" - Undyne put the emphasis on Gaster's will to leave the house, then showed two blinking points on a map in her phone - "And the traveled distance isn't a short one! See? There's a distance of three streets between the house and this point!"  
"Your Majesty, I can explain." - Gaster started - "I know I wasn't supposed to exit the area fixed by the device, but I did it only so I could bring Sam here! He was playing in the garden with his sister, and at some point he climbed on a tree, which ended by an accident. He broke his arm, he was in pain, and I'm still unable to heal,... I wasn't thinking..! I just wanted to help him and fast..!"  
Noelle gave him a sympathetic look. She knew that in his shoes, she'd have done the same thing. Undyne wasn't impressed though, or maybe __didn't want__ to let herself to be influed by what led Gaster to break the rule. Let let out a sharp sigh and argued:  
"Well, what happened to the boy is terrible, but law is law. If he broke the imposed to him rule, that's it and his motives don't matter!"  
"But he would've returned home afterwards..!" - Noelle tried to justify Gaster's action.  
"Yeah, then why not let him wander around freely for that matter?" - Undyne asked - "That's the main point of a house arrest. It permits a lighter form of punishement, while still keeping an eye on the 'detained' so they don't commit new crimes. You surely know that!"  
"I did not know, however, that taking an injured child to the hospital is considered to be a crime." - Noelle remarked.  
Gaster almost chuckled at Noelle's mildly sarcastic tone, but he controlled himself, considering the seriousness of the situation. He spoke up instead:  
"I know I violated the rule. But what else could I do? Like I said, I wasn't thinking, my son needed help fast! I would've healed him on my own if my healing power didn't stop working..! I would've helped him by other methods, but I'm not allowed to have any of the medical equipement from my lab! I can do nothing without it!"  
"You should've thought of that before you unleased the De-Code!" - Undyne protested angrily.  
"SILENCE!"  
Asgore decided he'd had enough of the argument and so he silenced everyone. His loud shout even shushed the few other people that were in the hospital hall, having got intimidated by it. A moment after, the rabbit nurse approached the group, making Gaster and Noelle turn to her and ask how Sam was doing.  
"We stitched the wound on his head. So, it shoud be healed by itself in a couple of hours. There were a couple of scratches and bruises, but it was nothing severe. We also checked if Sam had a brain concussion, and luckily, he doesn't. As for his broken arm, we're about to incase it in a orthopedic cast." - the nurse explained - "Unless there's a __very good__ healer among you."  
It didn't take long before Noelle volunteered to heal her son's arm.  
"I'll go heal him."  
"Noelle, are you sure? You've never done this before." - Asgore remarked.  
"I did, actually. I could heal Piper when she poisoned herself with the ilex berries." - Noelle replied - "So, I think I can try to heal a broken arm."  
"In that case follow me, miss." - the nurse requested.  
The two disappeared in a corridor, after what Asgore decided to resume the main issue. He looked down at Gaster and Undyne with a stern look on his face.  
"Undyne, you are right about how house arrest works. And as much as I appreciate your… um, passion to make respect the law, __technically__ Gaster didn't violate the rule. When I sentenced him, I clearly said that he'd be sent to prison if he __tries to escape__. However, he wasn't trying to escape, was he?"  
"Hmpf... I guess not." - Undyne admitted reluctantly.  
"And you, Gaster." - Asgore then turned to the skeleton - "Keep in mind that I might __not__ be as lenient a second time."  
"I understand, Your Majesty." - Gaster lowered his gaze.  
"I know you meant well, Gaster. But please, don't repeat today's mistake again. If there's any problem, you must contact me, Alphys, or Noelle if it's about your children. Understood?"  
"Yes, Your Majesty."  
"Good. But today's incident made me realize that there were risks we failed to anticipate." - Asgore said with a thoughtful expression - "I'll ask Alphys to bring you some of your material from your lab, but which can be used for __medical purposes only__. My previous warning about suspicious science activities still applies."  
"Thank you." - Gaster said.  
Soon, Noelle returned with a completely healed Sam. As the boy saw Asgore and Undyne in her uniform, he understood what was going on, which alarmed him a bit.  
"Asgore, please don't punish my father!" - Sam exclaimed - "If anything, it was my fault, I-"  
"Everything's alright, Sam." - Asgore reassured him as he ruffled his hair - "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't hurt your wound, did I?"  
"No, it's okay. It just stings a little." - Sam replied - "The thread's probably taking effect now. The nurse said it's magic..?"  
"Yeah, I know magic in this world seems a bit weird at first." - Noelle chuckled as she wrapped her arm around her son.  
"Noelle, can you escort Gaster and Sam back to their house?" - Asgore requested her.  
"Sure, no problem Asgore." - Noelle replied, then turned to Gaster - "Ok, so... let's go?"  
It didn't take too long before they returned back to the house. On their way, Noelle told about how she learned magic a little. Sam grew excited and started to ask Noelle what she could and what she could not do yet. As Noelle was explaining, Gaster wondered if Papyrus would even dare to teach her blue magic. When they arrived, they found a nervous Piper sitting on the couch, but she relaxed as soon as she saw that Sam was okay.  
"You scared me to death, Sam!" - Piper scolded her brother - "Don't ever do that again!"  
"Your sister's right. What you did today was dangerous." - Noelle pointed out sternly - "You were lucky today that you just broke your arm! You could've killed yourself!"  
"We hope you won't repeat such a careless behaviour." - Gaster added.  
"I'm sorry... I don't know what came to me." - Sam replied as he looked down in shame.  
"Just __please__, don't do that again." - Noelle said, her tone sounding more like a plea this time - "If there are things we don't want you to do, it's only for your own sake!"  
"I got it. I'll think twice before climbing something." - Sam said.  
"Alright. Now that it's settled, I shall go now." - Noelle said, then hugged Sam, then Piper - "Have a good evening, guys."  
"You too, Noelle." - Piper replied.  
"And Gaster, next time something happens to the kids, call me okay? So we can fix it together." - Noelle requested to the former scientist - "We don't want the effort to get this life for you to be a waste, do we?"  
"No, I guess not." - Gaster replied, then after an awkward pause, he said - "And... thank you. For healing Sam's arm."  
"Oh, but it was only natural." - Noelle replied with a smile.  
Noelle then left the house and while walking back home, she thought about magic. At first, she had been reluctant in learning it, but now she was seeing a real benefit in it. __"Especially if it permits me to help or protect the people I care for."__ \- she thought.  
At Gaster's home, the skeleton then approached Piper and said:  
"You looked shaken before I left. Are you feeling okay now?"  
"Yes, I'm okay." - Piper replied with a nod - "I was just a little scared…"  
"But it's over now, don't worry." - Gaster said as he gently ran his hand over her hair - "Okay, you two must be hungry, right? I'll go to the kitchen to make us something. You can play around meantime, as long as you're __careful__, of course."  
The twins started to go up to their room, but then Sam stopped. As Piper asked what was wrong, he said he'd be back in a moment, then went to the kitchen where his father was. He was busy looking for all the ingredients for whatever he was planning to make. The skeleton noticed his son standing there, looking sheepish.  
"What is it, Sam?" - Gaster asked.  
"Dad, I'm sorry." - Sam said.  
"Oh, I already told you it's alright. I just want you to be careful when you have fun."  
"No, it's not about that. I mean I'm sorry that you got in trouble because of me." - Sam clarified the reason of his apology - "You almost got sent to jail, when Asgore just gave you a second chance."  
"Sam..." - Gaster said as he knelt down to be at his level - "If there's one thing I learned since the day I adopted you, it's that your children's wellbeing matters more than your own. Had I been sent to jail today, I would be upset, but I would be at peace knowing that at least, you were alright."  
"So, I really matter that much to you?" - Sam asked.  
"You do. I'd do anything to protect you and your sister from harm." - Gaster confirmed as he put his hands over Sam's shoulders - "It has always been this way. But I guess I've been poor at showing it."  
"Well, you showed it today. And I'm glad my doubts were wrong." - Sam smiled a bit - "But I'm still sorry for today."  
"It's okay. Let's not think about it. What matters is that it all ended well." - Gaster then stroked his son's hair, careful to not touch where it hurt - "Now, go have fun with Piper. Dinner can't be cooked by itself, right?"  
Sam nodded then, for a short moment, took his father's hand in his own, before leaving the kitchen and in the direction of his and Piper's bedroom. Gaster smiled to himself, then proceeded to make dinner.

Later that evening, Frisk returned home from the ambassy. Noelle rushed to her with a relieved smile on her face.  
"You're back! I was worried."  
"I know, I'm a bit late." - Frisk said a bit tiredly - "But the business took longer than anticipated… Why would you worry though? Long meetings isn't an unexpected thing for an ambassador."  
"Oh, well, you're almost one hour late, I thought something happened." - Noelle replied.  
"As you see, here I am!" - Frisk said with a smile - "How was your day?"  
"Well, besides Sam breaking his arm today, it was fine."  
"Oh dear, how is he?" - Frisk asked with concern.  
"Don't worry, I healed him. His arm is as good as new, hehe." - her daughter reassured her.  
"That's a relief... And how was your training with your father?"  
"I learned to summon several bones at once." - Noelle replied - "Papyrus told me tomorrow he'll teach me how to move them."  
"You're learning quickly." - Frisk remarked with a pleased smile - "I'm proud of you, Noelle."  
"You are..? That's... very nice to hear it from you."  
Noelle said this with such sincerity, that it concerned Frisk a little. Noelle also said "you are" in a way as though seeking a confirmation. But why was that? She gave her daughter a concerned look and asked:  
"You're okay, Noelle? Is anything bothering you?"  
"No, Frisk. I'm okay. I just... love to hear nice things from you. You know, 'cause I never got to hear that from a mother during my childhood."  
Frisk guessed that it was a valid reason, so she smiled at her daughter.  
"Of course, I understand. Okay, let's go see your father. I'm sure he'll be thrilled to tell everything in details."  
"You're right. He'll surely keep talking until he loses his breath!" - Noelle giggled, then paused - "Wait… Does a skeleton even need to breathe?"  
"NOELLE! YOU REALLY DON'T GET HOW SKELETONS WORK, DO YOU?" - Papyrus said as he heard the last part, walking up to his two beloved ladies - "HELLO, HUMAN WIFE! YOU CAME LATER THAN USUAL!"  
"Sorry, Papyrus. Did I make you worry?" - Frisk asked with an amused smile as she put her hands over his shoulders.  
"NO, I JUST STATED YOU ARE LATE." - Papyrus denied, but his wife's sweet look made him admit - "OKAY, MAYBE YOU DID... A LITTLE."  
"Aw, you worry too much. But I like it."  
Frisk then stood on her tiptoes and planted a small kiss on Papyrus' teeth. The skeleton blushed a bit, then he lifted her a little to plant "kisses" on her both cheeks and then on her lips.  
"Guys, can't you do that when I'm not around?" - Noelle asked as she shook her head.  
"Sorry, did we embarass you?" - Frisk asked.  
Even though Noelle gave her parents what looked like an annoyed look, she was smiling a bit despite herself. Because the truth was that seeing her parents being together and sharing loving moments was in a way comforting. And Noelle was __determined__ to keep things that way.

* * *

**A/N: Yeah, Undyne's a policeman like in Deltarune! Because I think this job really fits her. **  
**The story for this chapter is based on a case that actually happened, as told by my former professor of criminal law. It was also about a guy under house arrest whose son fell down from the tree injuring himself badly. I thought that it would fit in my story, since Gaster still has to get used to his situation. Also, the medical equipement restored to Gaster will play a part later. **

**Also, what was that Noelle saw in her vision that disturbed her..?**


	25. Chapter 25

**Hey guys! Sorty it took me a while to update. But it's here now, and it's from this chapter that things will get interesting! Enjoy!**

* * *

The school of the Monster Village finally opened its doors. The people calmed down after the shock they went through due to the De-Code, and decided it was time to resume a normal life, including the children's education. No child was really thrilled to go back to school, but the knowledge that there would be the Gyftmas break in a few weeks made it less annoying. So, in this cold morning, Sam and Piper were walking to the school they'd attend from now on. They were a bit disappointed that Toriel would no longer be their teacher, since her queen duties prevented her from teaching. No other teacher would understand them as well as Toriel did. On the other hand, their relationship with Gaster was improving, a side support at school was probably not that much required. When they arrived at school, they saw that - surprise, surprise - there were only monsters. But that wasn't something that bothered the twins. They thought that being in the company of monsters was better than in company of humans, because they were nicer than the latters. Plus, they were much more fascinating! As Sam and Piper crossed the playground, some of the monster children were looking warily at them. Sam was the first one to notice and wondered why was that. Was it because they were the only humans around? Or was it something else? Soon, the schoolbell rang and the children were instructed to go to their classes. There was one class per year; Sam and Piper belonged to the 9-10 years old students. The two were about to take the free seats, but as Piper walked up to one of those, the dog boy sitting at that desk quickly put his backpack on the near chair.  
"You can't sit there." - he said - "I have mange, I'm contagious."  
Piper was pretty sure he wasn't telling the truth, because the way he said it sounded more as though he just wanted to scare and/or disgust her. Piper just shrugged in response, then walked to where her brother found a seat - the back row. She sat next to him, and Sam whispered:  
"I was denied a seat too."  
Soon, the class started. At some point, while the teacher was writing something on the blackboard while providing explanations, Piper took the opportunity to ask her brother:  
"Why do you think other kids didn't want us to sit next to them?"  
"I'm not entirely sure… But they're surely not being welcoming."  
The twins then refocused on the lesson. Sam had a little idea of why the monster children didn't want them around, but he said nothing to not upset his sister. He didn't have the proof of it, anyway.

Noelle and Papyrus were once again in the garden, having a training of magic. Noelle's skills were only getting better each day, she seemed to have an inborn talent. Noelle really had Papyrus' genes. Not only she was talented in creating bone patterns, but she also had a good physical health. She had a good amout of HP, so she wasn't one who could be knocked down so easily. But would Noelle ever actually need to fight anyone that way? The time of animosity between humans and monsters was over after all.  
"YOU ARE DOING PERFECTLY, NOELLE!" - Papyrus complimented his daughter - "YOU'RE MAKING OBVIOUS YOU DESCEND FROM SKELETONS! I THINK THAT AT THIS POINT, YOU CAN EVEN BE CALLED ONE!"  
"No need to call me that, thank you." - Noelle replied.  
She and Papyrus laughed a little at that. Then, Noelle asked out of curiousity:  
"So, could you tell I know everything about skeleton magic?"  
"WELL... YOU KNOW A BIG PART OF IT." - Papyrus replied.  
"Say... Sam and Piper once mentioned something about skeletons being able to uh… turn a SOUL blue..?" - Noelle asked - "Is that true? And what does it do, exactly?"  
"...YES, IT IS SOMETHING SKELETONS CAN DO…" - Papyrus grew uncomfortable - "IT'S CALLED 'BLUE MAGIC' AND IT CHANGES TO GRAVITY OVER YOUR SOUL AND YOURSELF."  
"That sounds interesting! Can you show me? Can you teach me?" - Noelle asked, as her hunger to learn something new grew.  
"UH... NO. I DON'T THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA." - Papyrus replied.  
"Why not? Come on, I'm sure it's not much different from any other magic you've taught me!"  
"I CAN'T. I'M SORRY." - Papyrus shook his head, looking away.  
"But... why? It can't be scarier than the bones!"  
Papyrus just winced a bit. Noelle gave him a confused look, but after a moment of thinking, she understood.  
"Wait… Sans once told me magic's fun when not misused. So, does it have anything to do with what Gaster did in the lab..? Did Gaster misuse blue magic?"  
Papyrus, who was still looking down, didn't reply and braced himself as though seeking some comfort from the bad memories. Noelle gave him a look of sympathy, so she walked closer to him and asked gently:  
"Papyrus... tell me, are you afraid that I'd use blue magic the wrong way? That I'd hurt you with it?"  
"NO! I TRUST YOU COMPLETELY!" - Papyrus exclaimed - "I KNOW YOU'D NEVER HURT ME OR ANYONE WITH BLUE MAGIC! I'M ACTUALLY SCARED... OR RATHER NERVOUS THAT… __I__ MIGHT __HURT YOU__. UNWILLINGLY, OF COURSE."  
"But you won't hurt me, because you're good and wouldn't abuse of blue magic. Didn't you ever use blue magic on people you know or care about?"  
"I DID. ON ASGORE, UNDYNE, AND… FRISK." - Papyrus replied as he looked down.  
"And they're all doing fine now, aren't they?" - Noelle insisted - "If it went well with them, it'll go as fine with me."  
"...NYEH. YOU ARE RIGHT. I DON'T KNOW WHAT CAME OVER ME." - Papyrus then managed a smile - "THE GREAT PAPYRUS ALWAYS KNOWS WELL WHAT HE'S DOING. AND IF HE DOESN'T INTEND TO HURT HIS DAUGHTER, HE WILL NOT!"  
"That's a better spirit." - Noelle said with a smile - "Now, will you teach me to use blue magic?"  
"I WILL. OKAY, SO FIRST YOU NEED TO TURN A SOUL BLUE." - Papyrus resumed the lesson - "TO DO SO, YOU MUST IMAGINE AS IF YOU'VE REACHED SOMEONE'S SOUL AND THEN YOU GRABBED IT. IMAGINE AS IF YOU'RE HOLDING IT IN YOUR HAND."  
Noelle nodded, then closed her eyes (for a better concentration for a first try) and then imagined in her head as if she was seeing a glowing white SOUL. She pictured how her hand was slowly reaching to the SOUL and after a moment, it finally touched the white heart. At the moment she imagined how she was having a solid grip over it, she heard Papyrus let out a small whimper. So, Noelle opened her eyes and saw that she actually managed to turn Papyrus' SOUL blue. She could see a blue heart-shaped aura at his chest.  
"Oh my… You're SOUL's really blue now..!" - Noelle exclaimed, then looked up at Papyrus' face and asked - "Are you alright..?"  
"YES, DON'T WORRY." - Papyrus replied with a nod - "NOW THAT YOU TURNED MY SOUL BLUE, YOU HAVE ALL THE POWER OVER ME. RIGHT NOW, THE GRAVITY'S STRONGER OVER ME, SO IT MAKES THE DODGING MORE DIFFICULT. BUT YOU CAN USE BLUE MAGIC TO LIFT ME UP IN THE AIR, OR MOVE ME IN ANY DIRECTION YOU LIKE."  
"Woah! So, you mean I could actually make you __fly__?" - Noelle exclaimed, her greenn eyes shining in wonder - "Incredible…"  
"BUT BEFORE I TEACH YOU TO ACTUALLY USE BLUE MAGIC, I'LL MAKE YOU EXPERIENCE IT YOURSELF, SO'LL YOU KNOW HOW THAT FEELS." - Papyrus suggested - "IF THAT'S OKAY TO YOU, OF COURSE."  
"Sure, no problem." - Noelle replied.  
After that, Noelle undid the effect from Papyrus' SOUL. Papyrus then turned Noelle's SOUL blue. The woman could feel the difference. It was as though there was some invisible weight over her whole being. The sensation was difficult to explain.  
"ALRIGHT, WE'LL DO A SHORT DODGING EXERCISE. IT'S THE SAME AS BEFORE, ONLY WITH YOUR SOUL BEING BLUE." - Papyrus said - "IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT. IF YOU WANT TO STOP AT ANY TIME, JUST TELL ME SO!"  
"Okay. Give me your best shot, Papyrus!" - Noelle said, to let know she was ready as ever.  
And so, the two resumed their training. Noelle was doing well this time too, though Papyrus was being careful, this being Noelle's first experience with blue magic. But as things were going okay, Papyrus was progressively rising the difficulty of his patterns. And Noelle, being an agile and attentive person, dodged the attacks without much trouble, having adapted to the strange feeling on her SOUL. All was well, until at some point, Noelle froze at her spot. Her eyes widened as she was "seeing" again. __The vision.__ Her mind absent, she didn't see the next attack coming. Luckily, Papyrus saw that Noelle wasn't doing anything to dodge. He acted quickly and with blue magic, he lifted Noelle up in the air just in time, before she could get hit by the bones.  
"W-whoa..?" - Noelle exclaimed, as she came back to reality.  
Papyrus stopped everything and he carefully put Noelle down on the ground. He rushed to her, to see if she was alright.  
"NOELLE! WHY DIDN'T YOU DODGE? WHY WERE YOU JUST STANDING? A LITTLE LONGER, AND…"  
"I'm sorry, Papyrus. But it's not due to blue magic, I promise. It didn't hurt me at all." - Noelle hurried to reassure him - "I just… uh, I guess I don't feel well."  
It was a lie. She had to come up with an excuse, there was no way she could tell Papyrus about her vision.  
"IT'S TRUE THAT YOU LOOK PALE!" - Papyrus remarked, then wrapped his arms around his daughter and helped her to get up - "IF YOU WEREN'T FEELING WELL, YOU SHOULD'VE TOLD ME SO! IT'S NOT GOOD TO FIGHT WHEN YOU'RE ILL!"  
"Well, I was feeling okay before that. I can't predict when I get ill, you know…"  
"HMM, MAYBE YOU SHOULD GET SOME REST?" - Papyrus suggested - "YOU CAN EVEN NAP IF YOU WANT!"  
"Yes, that would be nice." - Noelle replied quietly with a slow nod.  
Even though she wasn't actually sick, Noelle needed some time alone to think. What she saw a few moments ago scared her a lot. And she was barely keeping up appearances. She couldn't conceal a light shaking though, but Papyrus assumed that it was due to her sudden weakness. Soon, the skeleton and his daughter were walking up the stairs and as they made it to Noelle's bedroom, Papyrus helped her to lay down.  
"THERE. I WON'T DISTURB YOU, YOU CAN REST AS LONG AS YOU WANT." - Papyrus said as he gently stroke Noelle's hair fringe, almost as if he was comforting a sick child - "FRISK AND I CAN PICK SAM AND PIPER AT SCHOOL TODAY, IF YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE DOING IT."  
"...Yes, please. If it's not much trouble." - Noelle replied.  
Normally, she'd never miss an occasion to see her children. But her vision disturbed her so much, that she wasn't in the mood for careless chatting with them. The thought of her vision made her shiver again.  
"ARE YOU COLD?" - Papyrus asked, having noticed her shivering.  
"No, no… I'm fine."  
"ALRIGHT, IF YOU SAY SO… I'LL LEAVE YOU ALONE. BUT IF YOU FEEL WORSE, YOU MUST TELL."  
Noelle just nodded. Papyrus exited the room, and so Noelle was alone in the room. She rolled over so she was facing the ceiling and she just blankly stared at it. __"Oh gods, what must I do? Should I tell my parents and Sans about the vision? No, they'll freak out and it might make things even worse… It might even become a self-fulfilling prophecy. I can't take the risk."__ \- Noelle was thinking - __"But I can't just sit and do nothing. Can the vision even be avoided? Or is it fated to happen?"__ And so, Noelle was lying there deep in thought, having no track of time. She got pulled out of it as she heard a gentle knock on the door. As she allowed whoever it was to come in, the door opened and Frisk entered the room, holding a cup of tea in her hands.  
"Frisk? I didn't know you were home…" - Noelle commented as she sat down.  
"I returned a few minutes ago. Papyrus told me you're sick, so I decided to make you some golden flower tea, just in case." - Frisk said as she handed the cup.  
"That's very thoughtful… thank you." - Noelle said, then drank a few sips.  
It was a bit hot, so she put the cup aside on her nightstand and then… wrapped her arms around Frisk, pulling her in a tight embrace. Frisk's eyes widened in surprise. Sure, getting a hug from her daughter was something she wanted since the undo of the De-Code, but the suddenness of the gesture was still a bit strange.  
"Noelle, are you okay..?" - Frisk asked in concern.  
"I... I'm alright…" - Noelle replied as she pulled away - "I just… needed this now."  
"If I knew tea gets such a reaction out of you, I would've tried this sooner." - Frisk half-joked, before becoming serious - "But really, are you alright? Is there something bothering you?"  
"No, Frisk. I'm fine, really." - Noelle shook her head, then forced a smile - "I guess I'm in a needy mood today."  
Frisk didn't say anything for a moment, then decided to not pressure on the matter for the moment.  
"Alright, then. But if there's something - anything - that's bothering you… you know you can tell us. We'll do our best to help."  
Then, Frisk put her hand over Noelle's shoulder for a moment, before standing up and leaving the bedroom. Noelle let out a sigh. She took the cup of tea and as she looked into its depth, she thought: __"The problem is that 'your best' might not be enough…"  
__Soon, it was the time to go pick the twins at school. Like promised, Papyrus and Frisk took care of the matter and left the house in the direction of the school. As they walked, Papyrus noticed that Frisk had a thoughtful expression. So of course, he asked if everything was okay.  
"I'm concerned about Noelle." - Frisk answered - "I don't know why, but I have a feeling she's not actually sick."  
"SO YOU THINK SHE LIED?" - Papyrus asked - "BUT WHY WOULD SHE LIE TO US? SHE'S ALWAYS BEEN HONEST WITH US!"  
"I don't know, maybe she doesn't want us to worry..?" - Frisk suggested.  
"OH NO, SO SHE HAS PROBLEMS AND WE DON'T KNOW?" - Papyrus got alarmed.  
"Maybe she doesn't." - Frisk hurried to try calm Papyrus down - "It's just an impression I got. It could be just my imagination though."  
"HMM... WHAT MADE YOU BELIEVE NOELLE'S HIDING SOMETHING?" - Papyrus asked.  
"I... I just noticed that she has an unmatching behaviour sometimes…" - Frisk replied with a frown - "Like... today, when I brought her some tea, she hugged me."  
"COULDN'T THIS MEAN SHE'S WARMING UP TO YOU? TO THE IDEA YOU'RE HER MOM?" - Papyrus suggested, crooking an eyebrow.  
"It's not really the fact that she hugged me, but __the way__ she did." - Frisk clarified - "It was almost as if… she feared it would be our last hug?"  
Frisk then shivered a little, after what Papyrus wrapped his arms around his beloved human in a reassuring way.  
"MAYBE NOELLE'S JUST INSECURE? SHE HAS BEEN ALL ALONE DURING TWENTY-TWO YEARS. AND NOW THAT SHE HAS A FAMILY, SHE'S PROBABLY AFRAID TO LOSE IT. BUT WE WENT THROUGH THE DE-CODE, AND IT ALL LOOKS LIKE JUST A BAD DREAM NOW. SO, I'M SURE NOTHING CAN TEAR US APART ANYMORE." - the skeleton said confident.  
"Please, never change Papyrus." - Frisk requested him as she looked into his eyesockets - "At least one of us two must remain optimistic no matter what."  
"WORRY NOT, FRISK! THE GREAT PAPYRUS HAS ENOUGH OPTIMISM FOR THE TWO OF US!"  
The two spouses smiled at each other and then, holding hands, resumed their walk to the school.

Meantime at school, while Sam and Piper waited for their mother to come pick them at school, they heard a group of children whisper something between them. Sam frowned as he understood it was him and Piper they were talking about. He could tell it by the quick glances the monster children were sending in their direction. The boy shook his head and let out a sad sigh.  
"Piper, I think I know why our class hates us." - Sam said quietly to his sister.  
"Why? We did nothing wrong." - Piper replied as quietly.  
"No, but our father did." - Sam said darkly - "They hate him, and since we're his children, they hate us too."  
"But why would they hate us for what our dad did? It doesn't make sense…"  
"Oh, Piper... We're related to him, and that's enough for them to hate us."  
Piper was about to reply something, as at that moment she got pushed by someone who passed next to her. This made her fall forward and drop her backpack. A few of her belongings fell out of her bag in the snow. Piper looked up to see that it was the dog from her class who denied her a seat next to him. The girl quickly put her notebook back in the bag so it doesn't get wet.  
"You should be more careful..." - she remarked quietly.  
"Pff, I'm not getting advice from __you__." - the pup, whose name was actually Pupamy, replied.  
Sam and Piper could have a closer look of him now. Pupamy was a white dog with long ears and black nose, wearing a blue hooded robe. He wasn't wearing any shoes and he didn't seem to need any. By his looks and name, the twins could guess that he was the son of two ex-royal guards: Dogamy and Dogaressa.  
"That's not very nice…" - Piper replied, upset by the tone the dog used.  
"Apologize to my sister." - Sam requested calmly - "You could've hurt her, or ruined her books."  
"I'm not apologizing to the mad scientist's daughter." - Pupamy replied, saying the last three words as though it tasted like poison.  
"Look, we didn't chose whose children we are!" - Sam replied, a little more loudly than he intended - "We have nothing to do with what our father did, so don't annoy __us__ for his actions!"  
"Maybe you're not responsible, but you're still his kids! You'll grow evil just like him!" - Pupamy kept insisting on his point.  
"Our dad's not evil!" - Piper yelled, and her rounded eyes showed she could cry at any moment - "He just made bad choices…"  
"And we won't become like him, we won't make the same mistakes." - Sam added, his eyes being more angry than upset - "You surely also know that our mom's the Dreemurr princess! She saved everyone from the De-Code! Doesn't that play in our favor?"  
"I know who's your mom." - Pupamy crossed his arms over his chest - "But it doesn't matter, 'cause you two lived too long with Dr Gaster. He already corrupted you and your sister."  
As soon as those words left his mouth, Sam punched Pupamy hard on his face. Not having expected that, the dog fell down on the snowy ground. Piper gasped at what just happened. Pupamy, after rubbing his stinging face, glared up at Sam. He got up on his feet and he said with a growl:  
"Oh, you shouldn't have done this!"  
Then, he punched Sam on his turn. The children that were on the playground got attracted by the scene, so they stood in a circle around the two boys. Sam saw that his nose was bleeding after the punch. But he didn't care. He faced his foe and declared:  
"This is a fight then! Prepare to bleed!"  
"In your dreams!"  
And thus, the fight started. The two rushed towards each other and soon, they were punching and kicking each other until they were both rolling on the ground. The cold snow on their clothes didn't stop them, they kept fighting on the ground. Everybody around was shouting excitedly:  
"Fight! Fight! Fight!"  
Piper was gasping or closing her eyes each time any of the two boys was getting hit. Also, the sight of her brother's nosebleed was disturbing her even more. Especially when red drops were falling on the white snow.  
"Take this, manged dog!" - Sam shouted angrily as pulled on the dog's left ear.  
This made Pupamy let out a highpitched loud yell, the kind that were emitted by dogs getting hurt (which was pretty much the case). It was at that moment when a teacher walked through the crowd and separated the two boys.  
"What is going on here?! What came over you?! You know violence isn't tolerated in this school!"  
"It's his fault!" - Pupamy yelled as he rubbed the base of his left ear - "He punched me first!"  
"Maybe, but he said my sister and I were corrupted! He deserved the hit!" - Sam shouted - "No one insults my sister! No one!"  
As the two argued whose fault that was, Papyrus and Frisk made it to the school. When they saw that Sam was being grounded by the teacher along with another kid, they rushed to them and asked what happened. The teacher explained that the two kids were fighting and that Sam was apparently the one who started it.  
"Sam, you really started the fight?" - Frisk asked - "And... you're bleeding?"  
"It... hasn't stopped since... they started fighting..." - Piper said with a pale expression.  
Frisk gently rubbed the girl's shoulder, while Papyrus knelt to Sam and put his gloved hand over his broken nose. The hand emitted a green aura and within seconds, the bleeding stopped. The nose had been healed.  
"Thank you..." - Sam said.  
"NOW, I'M DISAPPOINTED THAT YOU, THE GOOD BOY I KNOW, HIT ANOTHER PERSON FIRST!" - Papyrus said sternly.  
"I was angry, the dog insulted my sister. He said that she and I had been corrupted by our father and that we'll be evil people when we grow up."  
Papyrus and Frisk exchanged a look, then looked back at the two children. Frisk sighed and looked into Sam's eyes.  
"I do agree that he shouldn't have said that. It was horrible of him. But he hurt you with words. You should've replied with words, not hitting him." - she said seriously.  
"I couldn't control myself… Anger just took over me." - Sam replied - "I know, it's a lame excuse. But I'll try to control myself better next time."  
Frisk nodded, glad that Sam admitted his mistake. She took the kids' hand in hers, while Papyrus approached the sniffing Pupamy. The pup looked up at the skeleton with a slightly fearful look. He thought that Papyrus would lecture him for insulting his grandchildren. But instead, he just asked:  
"DO YOU WANT ME TO HEAL YOU?"  
"N-no, thanks…" - Pupamy replied, averting his gaze - "My parents can do that."  
Pupamy didn't want Papyrus to heal him because he felt somewhat ashamed for what happened, so he thought he didn't deserve to be healed by the kind skeleton. Papyrus then patted the dog boy on his shoulder, before going to join his family. As they were walking to Gaster's house, Piper was pretty much silent. Usually, she was talkative, so her silence concerned Papyrus and Frisk. When they reached the house, the two adults made sure that the girl was okay. She assured them she was fine and that she had just been disturbed by the sight of blood. Gaster watched from the window at the scene and quickly understood that something must have happened at school. Soon, the two adults left, while the twins walked up to the porch of the house. Gaster opened the door and asked:  
"So, what happened? The look on your faces isn't the best."  
"I... I had a fight with a boy from my class." - Sam answered honestly, but didn't dare to look at his father - "And I started it."  
"What?" - Gaster asked calmly as his facial expression hardened - "Explain yourself."  
Gaster closed the door, after what Piper quietly went up to her room. Sam sat down on the couch in the living room, as he felt the pressure from his father's gaze. After a moment of silence, Sam spoke up:  
"The guy said some trash about you, my sister and myself. I lost it, so I punched him. I was just... so angry! I still am, to be honest. I wanted him to shut his mouth, so I acted on impulse."  
"Well, you shouldn't have surrendered to those 'impulses' of yours." - Gaster said with a stern tone and expression.  
"You can't judge me! If anything, it's your fault the entire school hates us!" - Sam replied angrily.  
A pause followed. It didn't take long for Gaster to understand what Sam meant. Then, he asked, sounding emotionless:  
"What did the boy say?"  
"Go, ask Piper if you want!" - Sam crossed his arms and looked away - "I don't want to talk or even think about it!"  
Gaster thought that he should deal with Sam's behavior towards him later. He decided to go talk with Piper instead, she'd surely be more cooperative. He went up the stairs and as he made it to the door, he knocked. Piper allowed him to come in.  
"Piper, can you perhaps explain me better what happened?"  
Hugging her puppy plushie tightly, Piper told the whole story, including what Pupamy had said. As he listened, Gaster had an unreadable expression on his face. After she finished, Piper asked hesitantly:  
"Can you tell me something...?"  
"Of course. What do you want to know?"  
"Well, Papyrus says that anyone can be a good person if they try. But now, I wonder... is the reverse true as well? I mean, can even the best people easily become evil?" - Piper asked.  
"I used to be much nicer years ago. You know what I eventually became."  
It was only when the words left his mouth that Gaster realized he said the wrong thing. Piper was now hugging her plushie even more tightly and she was trying to fight back tears. Gaster sat next to her and apologized:  
"I'm sorry. That's not what you needed to hear. But the truth is, each person is different. I might've changed for the worse, but if you look at Papyrus, you'll see that there's nothing in the world that can break him."  
"I guess you're right..."  
"But why are you asking me this? Is it because of what Pupamy said? Are you afraid you could become a bad person?"  
Piper didn't answer. But Gaster guessed that the answer was "yes". He wondered how he could reassure her, and quickly enough, he got an idea.  
"Can you close your eyes for a moment?"  
Piper complied, not feeling like asking why. Gaster then brought his hand at the level of her chest and after he made the right move, he summon the girl's SOUL. He then told her that she could open her eyes and when she did, she gasped at the sight. She could see a green heart floating right in front of her chest. She looked up at Gaster curiously.  
"This is your SOUL. It's beautiful, don't you agree? And it's green. Green represents kindness. This means that kindness is your main trait. But the truth is…" - Gaster said as he let the SOUL go back inside Piper's body - "...I didn't actually need to see your SOUL to know that. Because I know this SOUL like nobody does. You've always been so kind, while I... rarely returned the favor. And let me say you're one of the kindest people I ever knew. Your kindness is so pure, and I know that nothing can change it."  
As soon as he finished, Piper wrapped her arms around Gaster and burried her face into his turtleneck.  
"Thank you, dad." - Piper said quietly.  
"I meant every word I said." - Gaser replied as he hugged back - "And don't ever let anyone convince you otherwise."  
Gaster then did what surprised Piper a lot. He "kissed" the top of her head. Even though he didn't have lips, the gesture was gentle so it still felt nice. Piper looked up at her father, having a confused look on her face.  
"Did you just kiss me?" - she asked.  
"Oh, sorry. It probably feels weird without any lips."  
"No, it was nice, I'm just surprised. I don't remember you ever giving kisses." - Piper said, making Gaster look down.  
"I know, I wasn't the best at affections..."  
"Can you... can you do that more often? Please..?"  
Gaster just nodded before giving his daughter another peck on the top of her head, while still comfortingly holding her.

A few hours later, when the kids were asleep, Gaster was standing at the porch of his house, finishing his cigarette. It was his third one, actually. What happened at school made his SOUL ache. It was aching because he knew it was his fault that his children were bullied now. _"I made the bad actions, and it's my children who are undergoing the consequences… just because they're bearing my name."_ \- he thought to himself. He was about to drop and crush the end of his cigarette, as he suddenly heard Noelle's voice:  
"I hope you at least don't smoke in front of the kids."  
Gaster looked up to see that she was standing with a few steps of distance from him. He dropped the cigarette and replied:  
"I don't. Toriel had already lectured me about it years ago."  
"How can you even smoke anyway? Skeletons don't even have lungs or blood to enjoy necotine." - Noelle said curiously.  
"Uhhh..." - Gaster facepalmed, clearly annoyed - "I have no time for your stupid questions..!"  
"And what about clever questions then?" - Noelle asked, making Gaster arch an eybrow - "Because I do have one."  
Gaster waited for her to ask whatever she had to ask. But instead, Noelle walked up to him and said quietly:  
"It's something I didn't tell my parents, Sans, or anyone else. You're the first person I'm telling this because you're surely the only one who has answers. But I want you to keep this for yourself. You mustn't tell a soul about it. Can I trust you with that?"  
"...I guess I owe you, so I won't repeat your secret to anyone. What is it about?"  
"Well, it happens I have an ability to have glimpses of the future, like Papyrus and Sans." - Noelle said, picking Gaster's interest.  
"Intersting... I didn't know it could be transmitted genetically…"  
"It's not the point now. I was having a vision that scares me, and I need to know if all visions are bound to happen or if there's some way to avoid it!"  
"Could you perhaps tell me what your vision was about for starters?" - Gaster requested.  
Noelle hesitated for a moment. But then she guessed that if she wanted some help, she'd have to be completely honest.  
"All right... The vision is a short one, it barely lasts a few seconds. The landscape is a bit blurry, but I can clearly see Papyrus. I see him wearing a black outfit and he's crying… I see my own hand land over his shoulder, as though I was attempting to provide some comfort. But it's pointless, because his grief isn't one that can be easily erased. I see Papyrus having his arms wrapped around a glass container. And within the container, there is…" - Noelle trembled, and so did her voice, struggling to finis her phrase - "...there's a red SOUL… __It's Frisk's SOUL.__"

* * *

**A/N: _Dun dun duuuuuuuun!_**

**Okay, so regarding Papyrus' blue magic trauma... Just like in the regular "Handplates" story, he mostly overcame his fear. It's just that this particular situation triggered the bad memories. Because Gaster is technically Papyrus' father and misused blue magic on him, and now Papyrus is a father himself, so using blue magic on his own child obviously made him anxious. **

**This chapter introduces a new secondary OC - Pupamy. Like it was said in the chapter, he's the son of the two married dogs. His role won't be that much significant, but he'll be there sometimes to add a bit of "life" to the story, particularily in the twins' one.**

**And... oh my, can Noelle avoid the death of her mother? And who'd be to blame? ****(Btw, the visions's inpired by "Dustjar", a concept that belongs to Zarla as well.)**


	26. Chapter 26

**And here's another chapter already! You can expect me update regularily again in the time to come. :) I hope you'll like this chapter, and enjoy! **

* * *

Gaster and Noelle stood in silence for a moment, after the latter told about her vision. It was the first time she said it out loud. She literally saw that her mother would die and that her grieving father would carry her SOUL in a container (probably so he'd still have a part of her).  
"Let's get inside." - Gaster said as he opened the front door a bit wider.  
"But what about the cameras in your house..?" - Noelle asked.  
"We'll just be talking, there's nothing suspicious about that." - Gaster said - "Only images are recorded, not the sound."  
Noelle nodded and headed inside. She and Gaster then walked to the living room and the two sat on the couch.  
"So, is my vision bound to happen?" - Noelle asked.  
"All I can tell is that your vision __might__… as well as __might not__ happen."  
"If it just might not happen, why do I see it?"  
"Ah, it's a mistake many people make…" - Gaster commented, then explained after Noelle gave him a confused look - "Most people tend to think time in two dimentions. That is, the path traced by different choices we make and its consequences. However, time must be thought in three dimentions. Which means taking into account the many parallel timelines. Do you follow?"  
"Hmm… Are you saying that my vision might come either from a future in this timeline, or from a future in a different timeline?" - Noelle processed Gaster's words.  
"That's correct." - Gaster confirmed with a nod - "You are seeing this, because it has the __potential__ to happen in this timeline. As long as the directly related choice isn't made, there's still the possibility it'll happen."  
"How can we know which timeline we're in?"  
"Unfortunately, there's no way to know. Timelines are forged by all our choices."  
"Just great…" - Noelle muttered - "This means I'll figure out only by experiencing the timeline myself, right? That means when it'll be too late… But I can't just do nothing..! I didn't just find my parents only to lose one of them now!"  
Noelle was trying to stay calm, but despite herself, her hands started to tremble. Gaster felt in a way sorry for her. Noelle's fear was something he could easily relate to, even though he barely displayed it through his body language.  
"So, you really can't help me..?" - Noelle asked, her gaze reflecting fear.  
"I told you what I know on the matter. But my knowledge is mostly theorical, time being a tricky concept." - Gaster answered - "If I could give you an advice, it would be to not make the same mistakes as I did. Don't create a timeline you'll regret later. Only __you__ can create a satisfying future for your family."  
"The problem's that it's unclear whose choices my mother's life depends on." - Noelle let out a sad sigh, then stood up - "Alright, I'll go back home. Is it okay if I escort Sam and Piper to school tomorrow?"  
"...Sure." - Gaster replied - "You want to have a word with the boy who bullied them?"  
"Something among the lines." - Noelle replied.  
It wasn't long after that Noelle left the house. As Gaster watched her recede, he couldn't help but think about the vision itself. It was true that, concidering what happened between him and his "subjects", it shouldn't really be his business. But that possible future made him feel very uneasy nonetheless. __"It would've been so much easier if I didn't care…"__ \- he thought to himself, before walking to his bedroom.

The next morning, as Noelle brought Sam and Piper at the school gate, the kids hesitated before entering the school territory. Noelle patted her children's shoulders and said:  
"Trust me, I know exactly what it's like. I've been bullied too, when I was about your age."  
"You were?" - Sam asked - "Why?"  
"The other kids made fun of me for still believing that my parents would come back for me someday." - Noelle answered with a sad smile.  
"But that's awful!" - Piper exclaimed.  
"They were being kids, and kids can be cruel." - Noelle shrugged - "But things got better… someway. And things will get better for you too, you'll see. Over time, people will forget about Gaster's deeds and the kids will leave you alone."  
The twins sighed and faced the gate again. They were about to go, but then they stiffened when they saw Pupamy walk to them. Looking up at Noelle, Sam said with an angry tone:  
"This is him. The guy who insulted my sister and broke my nose!"  
"Sam, control yourself." - Noelle advised seriously - "Let's hear what he has to say first."  
At that moment, Pupamy made it to them. He didn't dare to look the twins or Noelle in their eyes.  
"H-hi…" - he said quietly - "I... I came to… apologize."  
Sam and Piper looked at him with surprised expressions. They didn't expect Pupamy to apologize.  
"My parents were very disappointed by my behaviour yesterday. They didn't like that I upset Papyrus' grandchildren." - the pup pursued, fidgetting - "After they berated me, I... kind of felt bad for assaulting your honor. So… I'm sorry for… insulting you two and… for breaking your nose, Sam."  
"You also pushed my sister." - Sam reminded him.  
"Right... Well, I'm sorry for that too." - Pupamy added.  
The twins weren't sure what to reply, having not expected to get an apology. They looked up at Noelle, who gave them a small nod, after what they looked back at the dog monster.  
"I forgive you, Pupamy." - Piper replied.  
"Since you're apologizing, I guess I can forgive… this time." - Sam said seriously - "And I guess I'm sorry too, for punching you in the face and pulling at your ear."  
"So... we're good now?" - Pupamy asked with a slight hesitation.  
"Of course. We're good." - Piper confirmed.  
"Alright, kids. I think you should go. The classes will start soon." - Noelle suggested to her children - "Have a good day."  
"Have a good day too." - Piper replied.  
"See ya, Noelle." - Sam said with a smile.  
The twins went in the direction of the building. Pupamy was about to go too, but Noelle stopped him. The dog boy looked up at her, with a fearful expression. As much as Noelle wanted to be intimidating for a warning, the look of his puppy eyes hit her in the heart, having a soft spot for dogs. But she had to be firm, for her children's sake.  
"I appreciate you apologized. But I hope this one time was the last it happened." - Noelle said with a low voice - "I don't want to __ever__ hear that you hurt my children again. Capiche?"  
"Y-yes, Miss Dreemurr..." - Pupamy said, his tone trembling a little.  
His scared attitude softened Noelle. She then pat his head twice, getting a curious and surprised look from him.  
"You don't look like a nasty boy." - she told him gentlier - "Can I just know why you behaved that way?"  
"I don't know..." - the pup replied, but as Noelle still expected an answer, he added - "I suppose because everybody else was acting that way to Sam and Piper… I thought it was the normal thing to do."  
"It's a natural phenomenom." - Noelle remarked - "But you'll be a much better person if you think with your own head and have your own opinion. Do you understand?"  
"I think I do."  
"Good." - Noelle finally smiled at him, to reassure that she was no longer mad - "Okay, I won't retain you any longer."  
The two exchanged a brief goodbye, after what Noelle left and went back to her home. As she was walking, she at some point thought she heard something behind her. She turned around and, even though she didn't see anyone, she had the impression as though there's been a movement. But after a moment staring without anything happening, Noelle shrugged and thought: __"Must've been my imagination…" __

It turned out to be more difficult for Noelle to live her life as though nothing happened. The thought of the vision was literally haunting her, she didn't know what to make of herself. So, Noelle decided to do what she always did in her old life when she was upset. And thus, in the middle of the afternoon, as Sans walked in the bathroom, he was surprised to see Noelle cleaning the bathtub! She was sitting in the empty bathtub, wearing clothes she wouldn't mind to ruin along with rubber gloves, a bottle of cleaning product standing next to her. The woman was scrubbing with fury, as though her life depended on the tidiness of the bath.  
"noelle... what are you doing?" - Sans asked.  
"Isn't this obvious?" - Noelle replied with a puff as she looked up at her uncle - "I thought the bathtub needed some cleaning. You know, it's much nicer to take a bath in an actually clean bath."  
"i see." - Sans said.  
But he didn't go away. He kept standing there until this exhasperated Noelle and she stopped her action. She looked up at him with a sigh, her face reflecting an unspoken "what?".  
"i know you better than you'd like, kid. you once told me that when something upsets you, you do house chores to forget about your problems." - Sans stated - "so tell me, what's the problem?"  
"There's no problem." - Noelle said with a shrug - "Like I said, it's not pleasant to bathe in a dirty bathtub."  
"is that why you changed the douche curtain? and cleaned the tap so it looks like new?" - Sans raised an eyebrow.  
"Look, it's not because you're a lazybones that I must be one too. Someone has to do the chores, right?"  
"noelle. i lived for a long time with gaster, who avoided every question i asked him. and i can tell that's what you're doing right now. you can't fool me." - Sans said seriously, then his eyesockets darkened - "so could you stop lying to me?"  
"...Sans, it's not easy to talk about." - Noelle sighed - "Just thinking about it is painful enough."  
"that's why you should tell me, pap and frisk about it. we all could help you."  
"My parents are the last people who must know about it!" - Noelle said alarmed.  
"why? is there something that we all should be alarmed about?"  
"...Yes. I recently had a vision. The sort you and Papyrus can have." - Noelle started - "I won't tell you what I saw, but it's not good."  
"so you had a bad vision… that's related to your parents?"  
Noelle didn't answer and she lowered her head. Sans wasn't sure what to think of this. If Noelle wasn't his niece, he would've __forced__ her to tell him everything. But Sans obviously could never hurt her, and he understood perfectly that Noelle maybe didn't trust him entirely. After all, he sent her away without anyone's consent and was more generally not the most reliable person. But Sans knew for sure that he had to snap Noelle from her current state somehow.  
"look kid, i understand you don't want to tell me anything. but you have to at least tell papyrus and frisk." - the skeleton said seriously - "i know what it's like to have no faith in the future. i've been hopeless for a long time. but you shouldn't follow my example, noelle. 'cause you're a better person than me. so, if you don't want your vision to happen, leave the bathtub alone and talk to your parents. they'll surely appreciate it."  
"...You...you're right, Sans." - Noelle replied quietly - "When they come back from the embassy, I'll tell them about my vision."  
Noelle was resolute to tell her parents everything. And so, she waited for them in the living room until the evening, with a book to make time go faster. When the two finally showed up, Noelle jumped from her couch and ran to them.  
"Papyrus, Frisk, there's something we must talk about."  
"Alright, but can we say something first?" - Frisk asked.  
"...Yeah, go ahead."  
"WE HAVE A GOOD SURPRISE FOR YOU, NOELLE!" - Papyrus said with an excited tone - "YOUR MOTHER AND I KNOW YOU NEED MORE INDEPENDANCE, BUT IT'S DIFFICULT SINCE YOU MUST RELY ON JUST MY RACECAR TO GO SOMEWHERE."  
"So, we've been searching long and wide the perimeter, and we found it! We found your cherry car, Noelle!" - Frisk announced with a big smile.  
"My car's been brought here too? No way..!" - Noelle exclaimed in pleasant shock.  
"IT WAS! WE FOUND IT AND TOOK CARE TO REFIT IT!"  
Papyrus then allowed Noelle go outside and see by herself. Noelle squeeled in happiness when she saw her car standing there, shining like new. Papyrus and Frisk exchanged and amused look.  
"I missed you so much my car!" - Noelle exclaimed as she caressed the roofing.  
It was the only car Noelle ever had and drove. It took her a lot of effort to acquire it, and when she thought it was left behind in the other world, it did somewhat upset her. And so, the fact that her parents used their time to search for it touched Noelle a lot.  
"Frisk, Papyrus, thank you very much..!" - Noelle said with a wide smile - "You have no idea how much this car means to me…"  
"WE'RE GLAD WE COULD MAKE YOU HAPPY TODAY!" - Papyrus replied.  
"Now, what did you want to talk about?" - Frisk asked.  
Reality hit Noelle as she remembered what she had to tell them. But they were both in such a good mood, they just did her a nice gesture,... Noelle didn't want to ruin the moment.  
"Uh... I don't recall. It mustn't have been important, hehe." - Noelle said with a shrug.  
"Oh, okay. As long as it's nothing grave."  
"No, nothing grave... Do you mind I go for a ride?" - Noelle asked - "I want to explore the city a little."  
"SURE, NO PROBLEM AT ALL! JUST DON'T RETURN TOO LATE, OKAY?"  
"I'll try my best."  
As Noelle sat in her car, she let out a sigh as really wanted to slap herself. __"Coward."__ \- her inner voice told her. Noelle then started the car and drove away in the direction of the city.

Noelle was driving for a long while, without really having any destination in mind. Not that she knew the city that well for that. She noted that the city resembled a lot to Undertown in some aspects, which made perfect sense. But she wasn't into enjoying the sights at that moment. Noelle just needed some time alone… again. __"What's wrong with me?"__ \- she asked herself - __"My family might face a terrible fate soon, and the best thing I found to do was to have a drive!"__ As she was mentally berating herself for her counter-productive behaviour, her eye got caught by a beautiful monument. Noelle turned her head and slowed down her car. With a closer look, Noelle could tell it was a shrine, a religious building. She decided to park her car nearby, so she could have a better look on the shrine, or even go inside. When Noelle locked her car, she approached the shrine, having an amazed look on her face. The shrine looked a lot like asian shrines from the "real world". Its predominant colors were golden and dark blue, like the night sky. Noelle guessed that the monument must've been ancient, and yet its structure almost looked new. __"Maybe it recently went through restoration?"__ \- she thought. Having enough admired it from the outside, Noelle then went inside and got as much impressed. She quickly noticed the golden statute that represented the local "divinity", and was surprised to see that it was a dog. __"So, is this how God looks like in their imagination?"__ \- Noelle asked herself - __"It's… original."__ Noelle then sat down on a bench and, looking at the statute, started to speak:  
"So, uh… hello? I'm not sure how I'm supposed to call you, or if you actually hear me… I really don't know what I'm doing… I just… really need a solution. I must be desperate, considering that I'm relying on a divinity to help me. Ha ha… pathetic, right? I know I'm supposed to make my own efforts to get what I want and not just call for your help. But the thing is… I really don't know what to do."  
Noelle then paused for a moment. She then resumed her monologue, with a trembling voice.  
"I have visions that tell me my mother has to die. Probably soon, I'm not sure. I should've told her about it, but I __can't__ bring myself to do it. Because I'm scared. Uncertainity's always scary. But after everything that happened recently, it scares me even more. I used to consider myself as a strong person… sort of. But now I see that I wasn't; I was just alone. When I was alone, uncertainity seemed less scary or challenging, because I had nothing important to lose. Now that I found my family, things changed. It's about my family's future now..! All this in a world I barely know…"  
Noelle paused once more. She clenched her fits, feeling something that resembled anger flow through her being. It was more a mix between anger and frustration.  
"Ugh... Why do I even bother to share my problems here with you? Did you really care, you'd never allow that future to happen..! You allowed the De-Code to happen. You even allowed the War to happen..! It's to wonder if you actually care for your world! How can I trust you with my personal problem now?" - Noelle said bitterly.  
Then, she let out a sigh and put her head between her hands. After a moment, she looked up at the dog statute again and apologized:  
"I'm sorry... I know blaming a divinity in their shrine isn't something you do. I just feel… so lost. My own family can't help me with my problem, neither can science. I'm very very lost. And I needed to let some of my bottled feelings out. Thank you… for at least listening my rambling."  
A short moment of silence passed, until an unfamiliar voice got heard:  
"I believe the plate outside says 'shrine', not 'shrink'."  
"Who's there?" - Noelle exclaimed.  
She started to look around, until she saw a white dog sitting at her left on the same bench as her. The Annoying Dog. Noelle immediately recognized him.  
"Toby..?" - she asked.  
"That's one of the names they call me…" - the dog answered.  
Noelle gasped a bit, surprised that in this universe the dog could talk. Normally, nothing should surprise her at this point, having seen monsters and magic, but this dog seemed to be a normal one instead of a monster.  
"Anyway, I heard your call, so I decided to pay you a visit." - the dog said.  
"Wait... are you telling me that…" - Noelle switched her look from him to the golden statute, and then back to him - "...the shrine's __yours__? Like, you are the god of this world? No way… that must be some joke."  
"And why would that be a joke? After all, 'dog' is actually 'god' read backwards."  
"... ...Uh." - Noelle frowned weirdly - "Now that you pointed that out…"  
"So, from what I heard, you feel helpless because of a vision you had?"  
"Yes, I've seen Papyrus mourning over Frisk's death. And he's keeping her SOUL in a container. Probably to feel as if she's still there with him." - Noelle said sadly - "I don't want this vision to happen. I heard that my visions are probabilities. If you're the god of this world, you surely can tell me if it's meant to happen in this or in another timeline?"  
"Noelle... It's true that I created this world, but like I once told your uncle, I'm in no way responsible of the people's choices. Why do you think there are so many timelines? Because of the freedom of choice. If I didn't give them this freedom, there would've been only one timeline." - Dog explained - "In fact, I wouldn't even need to take care to hide the Legendary Artefact in every single timeline!"  
"What are you talking about?" - Noelle asked curiously.  
"When Frisk was journeying through Waterfall, she found the Legendary Artefact. She was about to take it, but I intervened before she could do so. If I didn't hide it, our world would probably left unprotected from the De-Code."  
"Wait, wait, so you __knew__ the De-Code would happen?"  
"Let's rather say that… I had high suspicions it was bound to happen sooner or later. As much as I'm proud of my creation, it has its flaws. Not the most solid dimentional fabric used." - the white dog said - "And with the progress of science, I thought that precautions had to be taken. But I didn't know for sure in which timeline this would happen, nor who'd have the idea of the De-Code. That's why I had no choice but to jump across timelines and hide the Legendary Artefact."  
"So, you can just jump from one timeline to another?" - Noelle asked, amazed - "And how many of those there are exactly?"  
"Dozens? I'm not sure." - the Annoying Dog answered - "They're all very diversified."  
"This is why you can't help me either, right? Because you can't predict people's choices." - Noelle said with disappointement.  
"Come on, you're probably the most powerful SOUL ever born! You can't let a vision paralyze you!" - the dog tried to encourage her - "At any moment, you could get hit by a bus, but it doesn't stop you from going out."  
"I know, but-"  
"Or let me put it this way. If you focus too much on not getting hit by a bus, you won't see the taxi coming from the other side."  
"Huh? I'm not in the mood for metaphors, Dog." - Noelle moaned - "Can't you just give me a concrete advice?"  
"Sure! I'll even give you two advices!" - the Annoying Dog said, catching all Noelle's attention - "First, stay close to your family. Your parents, your children,... everyone. They're the only family you'll ever have, they can't be replaced. Hence the reason of your cry for help. But the stronger is your bond with them, the better are your chances of a good ending for everyone."  
"Okay... and what's the other advice?"  
"My other advice to you is… go watch the live adaptation of 'Mew Mew Kissy Cutie' at the cinema with your kids."  
Noelle got a very a bewildered look on her face. Then, thinking she got the logic, she asked the dog:  
"Oh, is the trip to the cinema some key factor for the events to come?"  
"Absolutely not. I just think it's a good movie and you should go see it." - the dog replied with an amused expression.  
Noelle's expression got even more funnier. Did the Annoying Dog really had nothing better to advise than go see a movie? Was he even taking the issue seriously?  
"Fine, I guess I can give it a chance..." - Noelle said with an annoyed sigh.  
"It's really worth it. It's starring Mad Mew Mew in the leading role!" - Annoying Dog replied - "But on a more serious note, keep your bonds with your family intact, Noelle. It's very important."  
"I'll do my best." - Noelle said with a nod - "Oh, and sorry I've been rude earlier… I didn't mean to insult you, or anything…"  
"Oh, don't worry. All's okay, no hard feelings here." - Dog replied with an easy tone - "It's true that I've been absent those past few years. But I absolutely didn't forget about this world. You can be sure the world is still watched over, Noelle."  
"That's nice to know..." - Noelle gave the dog a weak smile - "Out of pure curiousity, what are you doing when you're not here?"  
"This is a very good question! See that stained glass behind you?"  
Noelle turned her head to look at the wall behind her. Above the entrance to the shrine, there was indeed a small stained glass, representing a symbol Noelle knew way too well.  
"Yeah, it's the Delta Rune. But what does it have anything to do with your activity?"  
Since the dog didn't answer, Noelle looked back at her left and saw that the spot was empty. The dog was gone. __"What… the heck just happened?"__ \- Noelle asked herself as she processed. Truly, the conversation she just had with the Annoying Dog was so weird, that Noelle actually questioned wether it was all real or if she lost her mind and imagined the whole thing.

* * *

**A/N: But seriously, about the "god is dog backwards" thing... I wonder if it was done purposely, or if it's just a coincidence…?**

**Extra info: The reason why Gaster isn't erased in this timeline is because of Alphys' choices. In this timeline, instead of taking the risk to make the skelebros walk across the Core to the castle, Alphys requested Asgore to descend to the lab and see by himself.**

**Not much happens in this chapter, but it was necessary to show how difficult it is for Noelle to deal with her vision. This chapter explains how timelines work. Basically, the regular "Handplates" timeline does exist, but in a different plane of existance. The same applies to "Mercyplates", "Momplates", "Dustjar",... A genocide route exists too in a completely separate timeline. (But "my" Frisk is a 100% pacifist.)**

**The whole interaction between the Annoying Dog and Noelle has a WTF vibe, but it was done on purpose! ^^ I picture the Dog as someone having a odd humor, considering that in game, he's quite a prankster and also the real Toby Fox being considered to be a "troll". **


	27. Chapter 27

**Okay, this chapter is the most light-hearted one of this arc. Just something to have some fun. ;) But seriousness will resume at its full force from the next chapter. Enjoy!**

* * *

Sam and Piper were having their lunch at the school cafeteria, talking about the MMKC live action movie they went to see with Noelle the previous day. Sam wasn't that much into magical girl stories, but he had to admit that the movie was well made and pretty enjoyable (he was pretty much used to watch that kind of stuff with Alphys). Piper, on the other hand, adored the magical girl genre. She had seen the first season of the anime beforehand on DVD and thus, seeing a real Mew Mew on the cinema screen made her eyes shine in wonder. Piper definitely became a fan of the catgirl.  
"And what's even more amazing is that she looks exactly like this in real life!" - Piper almost squeeled.  
"That's because Mad Mew Mew's nothing but a ghost within a MMKC human-sized doll." - Sam replied - "She used to be Mad Dummy before her current form."  
"I know all that, but it doesn't make her any less cool." - Piper crossed her arms, wearing an unimpressed expression before it turned into a dreamy one - "Aw, I wish I could meet her for real!"  
"Well too bad, I heard Mad Mew Mew's not a very available person." - a familiar voice said.  
Sam and Piper turned their heads to see that Pupamy was sitting at their table, but at some distance. The twins have been so taken by their conversation that they never noticed him to come and sit.  
"Pupamy? It's rude to listen people's conversations!" - Sam remarked.  
"I had no choice, your chatting is the only thing I hear at this table." - Pupamy replied, before biting into his ham sandwich.  
"But why did you sit here anyway?" - Piper asked curiously.  
"It's not like I really wanted to…!" - Pupamy avoided the twins' gaze - "Your table was just the emptiest."  
"And why aren't you sitting with your friends?" - Sam asked - "You surely have plenty of them!"  
"My friends didn't like that I apologized to you two, so they didn't want me to sit with them." - Pupamy explained.  
He said the last part with a quieter tone. The pup tried to council his sadness, but it could still be seen by the "beaten dog" look on his face. Filled with empathy, Piper said gently:  
"If they're really your friends, they'll realize their mistake and they'll call you to play and eat with them again."  
"And if they don't, they weren't really your friends." - Sam added.  
Sam tried to sound as though he didn't care, but deep down he kind of felt sorry for Pupamy. He and Piper never really had friends before, but they always had each other. Pupamy, on the other hand, was left all alone. Piper was thinking the same thing, so she smiled at the dog and invited him:  
"You can come sit closer to us, if you want."  
"Yeah, we won't bite." - Sam added with a sly grin.  
Both Pupamy and Piper narrowed their eyes at him for the bad joke.  
"Nah, I'm good here." - Pupamy said as he didn't move from his spot.  
"Okay, we won't force you…" - Piper replied, then recalled what he said earlier - "Oh, what were you saying about Mad Mew Mew?"  
"I said she's not very available." - Pupamy replied - "It's not easy to get contact with her."  
"Mettaton!" - Piper exclaimed as she got an idea - "He's her cousin, he surely knows where we can meet her!"  
"But we don't even know where he lives." - Sam replied.  
"There's still that concert in the city tomorrow." - Pupamy informed - "You two can always catch him when he's done."  
"Hmm, you're not as dumb as I first thought." - Sam replied.  
"Hey!"  
"That could totally work!" - Piper said with a beaming smile - "We'll ask him after his concert!"  
"Wow, get down from hights, sis." - Sam replied, less enthousiastic - "He might not want to talk with us or, more likely, not notice us. We're just kids. Getting Mettaton's attention is a challenge."  
"But we can go with Noelle! Mettaton will notice her more easily!" - Piper suggested.  
"I don't think Noelle will accept to go see him, after he dirtied her honor on tv during the De-Code." - Sam pointed out.  
"Uhh, true…" - Piper lowered her head in disappointement - "B-but... maybe she'll accept..? We can always ask her."  
"Sure, but I wouldn't get my hopes up."

And Sam turned out to be right. Because when Noelle came to pick them at school and the twins made their request, she cathegorically refused.  
"Come on, Noelle! Pleeeeeaaase?" - Piper begged.  
"I said _no_." - Noelle replied firmly - "I won't ever ask anything from this guy! I have my pride, you know."  
"Please! It's the _last_ thing I'll _ever_ ask you!"  
"With Gyftmas coming soon, I doubt you'll stay true on your word." - Noelle shook her head.  
It's with a big disappointement that the twins returned home. They pretended nothing happened in front of Gaster, but the idea of a missed opportunity to meet the real Mew Mew was stuck in Piper's mind. Sam didn't like when his sister was sad and wanted to help her meet the catgirl. So, when the two laid in their beds to sleep, Sam whispered:  
"We'll go to the city by ourselves. We'll try our best to talk with Mettaton."  
"You'd really do that, Sam?" - Piper whispered back - "I don't know, it may be dangerous to wander in the city alone…"  
"Think about it as an adventure. It could be fun!"  
"You don't have to do that. Let's not take risks for my whim."  
"Look, it might be our only chance. If we let it go now, there might be no other. Isn't meeting an idol worth it?" - Sam encouraged his sister with a smile - "It'll be just like when we searched for our mother. Or like our venture in the grave!"  
"We got arrested that night, remember?"  
"Yeah, but it permitted Noelle to save the town. You can tell it was totally worth it! I'm sure it'll be the same here."  
"Alright, you convinced me..." - Piper replied as a smile grew on her face - "Let the celebrity chase begin!"

The next afternoon, the kids were about to leave the house, but Gaster stopped them, asking where they were going. Sam and Piper put on the most natural faces they could manage and the boy spoke up:  
"We're just going outside. You know, to… play?"  
"I guess it's boring to be confined here all the time." - Gaster remarked to himself - "Alright, you can go. Don't return too late."  
"We'll… try to keep track of time, haha." - Sam replied a bit nervously.  
"Yeah, see you later..." - Piper said before the twins went out.  
When the twins were far enough from their house, they rushed in the direction of the bus station. The bus would take them to the city. As they waited, they saw Pupamy run to them. When he made it to the station, Piper asked:  
"You're coming with us, Pupamy? Why?"  
"D-don't think it's because I want to hang out with you..!" - the dog said, panting - "I just know the city better than you! And if something happens to you out there, I don't want it to be my fault."  
"But... how did you know we'd go alone?" - Sam asked.  
"I didn't know, but I guessed your mom wouldn't accept to take you there." - Pupamy answered - "A woman like her isn't one to mess with…"  
"Huh? What are you talking about? She's pretty nice." - Piper asked.  
"Oh, I get it! He's afraid of Noelle!" - Sam laughed.  
"What? No!" - Pupamy protested - "I just… think she's right to be mad at Mettaton… I'd be mad too."  
"Noelle definitely scared you the other day, didn't she?" - Sam insisted on his point with a grin.  
"She didn't! She just… made me nervous. It's not the same thing." - Pupamy crossed his arms over his chest.  
Luckily for the pup, the conversation was cut short as the bus finally arrived. The three kids boarded the bus, paid the tickets and sat at a empty row they found. After a long pause, Piper asked to Pupamy:  
"Your parents let you go to the city on your own?"  
"They don't know where I am now. And I guess yours don't either?"  
"Of course not." - Sam replied - "Damn, we'll be in big trouble…"  
"I knew it was a bad idea…" - Piper said.  
A pause followed. Then, the three children exclaimed:  
"It's so exciting!"  
It took thirty minutes for the bus to bring its passengers to the destination. When the kids descended the bus, they looked around and got a strange desire to scream. It felt amazing to be free and go wherever they wanted on their own; it was like the city - no, the world - belonged to them.  
"Now, you said you know the city." - Piper said to Pupamy - "Shall you lead us to the stadium?"  
"Yes. Uh, I'm pretty sure we have to go… that way." - Pupamy pointed at a street.  
The three kids started to walk across the streets of the city, (presumingly) in the direction of the stadium. But it took them longer than they wished to reach their destination, because Pupamy turned out to have a bad orientation. Sam, getting irritated by his incompetence, scolded the dog:  
"Great job, Pupamy! Now we're lost! I thought you knew the city well?"  
"Look, I told you I know the city _better_ than you, not that I knew it _perfectly_..!" - Pupamy exclaimed, frustrated.  
Thanksfully, Piper saved the situation when she found a map at the corner of the street. After studying it for a few minutes, they managed to find the right way. It took them about ten minutes to reach their destination. When they finally made it to the stadium, they could hear from the outside Mettaton's singing voice, along with loud cheers of the fans. The three children sat against a wall, at a spot where they wouldn't get the attention from the guards at the entrance of the building. Sam, Piper and Pupamy smiled in contentement. Now, all they could do was wait until the concert was over, while enjoying Mettaton's music.  
"His songs are the best!" - Pupamy then remarked.  
"It's true he has a cool voice." - Piper agreed - "And his tunes are ejoyable."  
At that moment, another song played out and Pupamy's ear lifted a little. The dog boy immediately recognized it, as his eyes shone in excitement and he exclaimed:  
"Oh, it's is my favourite song!"  
"It's called 'Hard Drive', correct?" - Sam asked - "Yeah, it's a cool one."  
"By the way, the lyrics are based on Mettaton's real experience, the fight against-"  
"We know." - Sam and Piper interrupted him, then Piper added - "Frisk's our grandma, remember?"  
"Oh true…" - Pupamy realized - "Ok, let's just enjoy it."  
And so, the three kids didn't speak for a while, just listening to the song, slightly moving their heads to match the beat. When Mettaton reached the refrain again, Sam commented:  
"Now, think about all those people who paid for the tickets."  
"Haha, I pity them!" - Pupamy replied.  
"And we're enjoying the concert for free!" - Piper added.  
When the song reached its second verse, the kids stopped talking again and enjoyed Mettaton's voice that matched perfectly the notes of the melody. But as soon as the refrain got sang for the third and last time, the kids couldn't help but sing along.

_Darling, I can show you where my love hides  
It's a heartbeat, on a hard drive  
Yeah I'm dancing with your SOUL on my sights  
It's a showdown, in a spotlight  
Honey, glamour's got me out of my mind  
Like a kill switch, on my backside  
And the cameras got you frozen in time  
Like a save state, in a game file_

When the song stopped and cheers of the fans got heard from inside the stadium, the kids exchanged happy looks. They kept waiting at that same spot for the time of three other songs, until the concert was over. The three prepared themselves and directed all their attention on the service entrace, where Mettaton would exit from. They weren't sure how long they waited until the robot star finally went out the building.  
"There he is!" - Piper exclaimed - "It's our chance!"  
She, her brother and the dog monster started to run in his direction, but their way got quickly cut by a huge group of fans that surround Mettaton. There was no way the short nine years old kids could pass that crazy crowd.  
"Do you see a way, boys?" - Piper asked.  
"No! Everything's blocked!" - Sam replied.  
The kids then saw that Mettaton was slowly escorted by his agent to his limousine. Piper was fidgeting nervously at her spot, getting desperate. She had to talk to him! Or she, her brother and Pupamy would've came for nothing!  
"He's going away, he's going away...!" - she kept saying, sounding whiny.  
"We could run to his car and cnock on the window?" - Pupamy suggested with the same desperate tone.  
"There are people everywhere! No way to approach him!" - Piper pointed out.  
"Ugh… why are we so unlucky?!" - Pupamy almost whined (in a dog way).  
At that moment, they heard Sam call for them:  
"Guys, over there! I found a taxi!"  
Piper and Pupamy turned their heads and saw that Sam already sat in a taxi. The girl and the pup monster ran to the car and sat down on their turn. It was a perfect timing, because the limousine started to drive away right at that moment. Sam didn't waste any time and ordered to the taxi driver:  
"Follow the limousine!"  
"Uh... please?" - Piper added.  
"Fine, as long as I'll be paid for this…" - the driver said as he started the car.  
The three kids exchainged a worried look. They weren't sure they had enough money to pay for the drive.

Meanwhile at the Monsters Village, Noelle got a visit of two worried parents. A knock on the door was heard and when Papyrus opened it, he was surprised to see his former royal guard colleagues.  
"DOGAMY? DOGARESSA? WHAT BRINGS YOU HERE?" - Papyrus asked.  
"Um, we're sorry to disturb you Papyrus, but we came to ask if you've seen our son around today?" - Dogaressa said with a worried tone.  
The question caught Noelle's attention, who was at the moment sitting on the couch. She looked up at the couple and asked on her turn:  
"Why do you think he'd be here?"  
"When we let Pupamy go out to play, he said he'd be with Sam and Piper." - Dogamy answered.  
"Uh, I'm sorry but I haven't seen your son, neither did I see my own children today." - Noelle replied - "Why don't you go check at Dr Gaster's place? That's where the twins live."  
"Well, we prefer to avoid going there." - Dogamy said a bit nervously.  
"And Pupamy would never go in his house." - Dogaressa added - "He's afraid of Gaster."  
"THAT'S... UNDERSTANDABLE." - Papyrus remarked, lowering his gaze - "BUT IN THAT CASE, WE CAN'T HELP YOU. SAM AND PIPER DIDN'T COME TO SEE US TODAY."  
Right at that moment, Noelle's cellphone rang and she saw that it was Gaster.  
"Speaking of the devil..." - Noelle said as she showed the screen of her phone, then answered the call - "Hello?"  
"Don't 'hello' me." - Gaster said with an annoyed tone on the other side of the line - "May I get my children back? They went out to play one hour and a half ago, and they said they wouldn't be out for long!"  
"And you really believed kids?" - Noelle asked with a mildly ironic tone - "You'll be surprised, but I haven't seem them today. More surprisingly, I have here the parents of their classmate Pupamy. They can't track their kid either."  
"Oh no, what does this all mean..?" - Frisk asked, as she heard the last part of the conversation - "That Sam, Piper and Pupamy are missing?"  
"Uh... No, they're not exactly 'missing'..." - Noelle said as she understood - "Look, yesterday the twins asked me to take them see Mettaton after his concert. But I refused, since I'm still mad at him for what he did in Undertown. I'm not sure how Pupamy got involved in this, but I'm pretty certain the kids decided to go see Mettaton by themselves."  
"What? Now you're saying that my children are missing because of you?!" - Gaster exclaimed.  
"Wow, wow, let's calm down, okay?" - Noelle requested calmly - "I couldn't predict they'd act this way!"  
Frisk turned to Papyrus and remarked with a sigh:  
"Looks like they really are my grandchildren… They're allured by adventures."  
"IN THAT CASE, THEY SHOULD BE ALRIGHT NOW." - Papyrus replied.  
Frisk couldn't help but grin a bit at Papyrus' confidence. She then turned to Dogamy and Dogaressa and suggested them to stay and have a cup of tea (to calm their nerves) and reassured them that Noelle would solve everything.  
"It's not the first time she has to deal with this kind of things. She'll bring the twins and your son safe and sound."  
"What was Pupamy even thinking, going to the city on his own?" - Dogaressa asked herself, frustrated.  
"Now, now, sweatheart." - Dogamy tried to reassure her - "If Miss Dreemurr says our boy'll be alright, then he will be."  
But it was obvious that he was as much afraid for his son's safety as his wife. Noelle had just finished her conversation with Gaster and hang up the phone.  
"Okay, I'm going to the city now and bring back the kids." - Noelle declared, grabbing her coat.  
Within seconds, Noelle sat in her car and drove in the direction of the city. She felt satisfied when she got a message from Alphys that had Mettaton's address._ "When I find you kids, I swear you'll have a bad time…"_

Meantime, the three children arrived at the destination. It turned out to be the MTT five stars hotel. Pupamy's eyes shone as he saw the place and said in a half-whisper:  
"Wow, I knew it existed, but I didn't know where it was... I heard this place is like heaven..."  
"So, do you think Mettaton also lives here?" - Sam asked.  
"Well, there's only one way to find out!" - Piper exclaimed as she opened the door.  
"Uh, kids. Now that I brought you to destination, it's 75 g." - the taxi driver said.  
"Oh, uh... let me see in my pocket..." - Sam said, then pulled out some money - "I have only 5 g..."  
"Same here..." - Piper said, showing her money.  
"I have only 7 g." - Pupamy said with an awkward look.  
"Are you kidding me? I've driven you all this way for just 17 g? That won't do, it's not even the half of the price!" - the taxi driver exclaimed with an irritated look.  
The three kids exchanged a look, before they nodded and - acting at the speed of a lightning - rushed out of the car and straight to the door of the hotel. The taxi driver was obviously not happy about this and yelled after them:  
"Little hooligans!"  
Once inside, the kids let out a sigh, seeing that the driver wasn't running after them. Remembering their goal, they walked to the receptionist. When they got his attention, Piper asked:  
"Excuse me, madam... Can you tell us where we can find Mettaton, please? We have to talk to him."  
"Are you asking me to let you see _**the**_ Mettaton? For real?" - the receptionist asked - "Or is it some joke?"  
"No, it's not a joke! There's something important I have to ask him..!" - Piper replied.  
"So, can you let us see him?" - Sam asked on his turn.  
Instead of giving an helpful answer, the receptionist laughed, a response that didn't please the kids. The woman's laughter got almost hysterical.  
"Hahaha... I think I've seen everything now... Three little kids, thinking that... haha... that they can see Mettaton… at a... haha… simple request..! You three are so adorable, you've made my day..!"  
"It's not funny! We really want to see him!" - Pupamy exclaimed, getting offended by the receptionist's attitude.  
"Please? Mettaton's the only one who can make me meet Mew Mew! She's my idol." - Piper pleaded.  
"Haha, that's even funnier..." - the woman put her hand in front of her mouth, before calming down - "I'm sorry kids, but that's not how things work around here. Or the poor robot would never get a break from crazy fanboys and fangirls."  
"We're _not_ moving from here until you take us to Mettaton's place." - Sam crossed his arms in a stubborn manner.  
"Okay, kids. This is not a playground here. Now shoo! I have actual work to do here." - the receptionist said as she tried to make the kids go to the door.  
But Pupamy growled in response at the woman. This made her retrieve her hands. But right after, she called:  
"Security!"  
The children's eyes widened when they saw two tall men in black suits walk to them. The twins and the pup started to shake, not liking where this was going.  
"Oh no, they'll throw us outside..." - Piper whispered - "And that, before I could meet Mew Mew..!"  
"You will meet her, Piper." - Pupamy suddenly said with a confident tone - "Hey, the guards! We didn't ride all our way here just to leave now!"  
Pupamy then closed his eyes and within a moment, a circle of white and light blue hearts appeared in front of him. The twins looked at him amazed. With a bark, the pup moved his arm in a way to made the hearts fly in the direction of the guards. The two men didn't expect this to happen, so the attack caught them off-guard. As the hearts hit them, the kids ran away long the fancy corridors, until they made it to the kitchen. They paused for a moment. The smell of food made their stomaches growl, since they haven't eaten in hours. But they quickly recalled they had to hide. The cooks were so busy that they didn't notice the three little intruders. Discreetely, the kids hid under a table.  
"So, what do we do now?" - Piper asked.  
"I don't know... Sam, you could perhaps take something to eat from above?" - Pupamy asked.  
"But isn't that stealing?" - Sam asked.  
"Well, they cook for dozens of people anyway. They can't keep track of all their food."  
"You have a point. Besides, I'm hungry." - Sam stated.  
The boy peeked from under the table to see if there was anything little he could take. He noticed a huge basked with little breads standing a few steps from their hideout. He turned to his sister and requested:  
"Can you take three breads from that basket?"  
"Why me? Pupamy asked you!" - Piper asked.  
"You're nimbler than I." - Sam replied - "And we're here because of you, so go!"  
With a sigh, Piper looked at the target. She quickly ran to where the basket was and was about to take a bread, but she noticed that someone was coming, so she quickly hid under a smaller table with wheels. She heard someone say:  
"Alright, so this is the boss' order. I still don't get why a robot would eat, though."  
Then, she sensed that the table was moving, which meant that she was being taken with the dinner order to a room. At first, Piper panicked. Then, she processed what the voice said. _"Wait, he said something about a robot eating… Mettaton! I'll be able to meet him after all!"_ Sam and Pupamy, on the other hand were watching fearfully how Piper was being driven away from them.  
"Oh no, what will we do...?" - Sam breathed out in fear.

Mettaton was relaxing on his king-sized bed in his personal apartement. In fact, the star was living just above the hotel building, which was rather practical for him and the hotel administration. Mettaton then heard a knock on the door and he guessed it was the dinner he ordered earlier. _"That was about time…"_ \- he thought.  
"Come in!" - he said, not wanting to move.  
The door opened and the waiter brought the table with the ordered dishes.  
"Your dinner, sir." - the waiter said.  
"Thank you, darling." - Mettaton replied with a smile - "You're dismissed."  
After the waiter went away, Mettaton sat straight on his bed. He was about to start his meal, as suddenly, Piper went out from under the table, saying:  
"Good evening, Mettaton!"  
Before she could say anything else, the robot let out a (not very manly) scream of surprise and fell on his back across his bed. Piper giggled a little at the sight and said:  
"Hehe, I'm not that scary you know."  
"Wh-what? H-how? What are you doing here? How did you end up here?" - Mettaton asked, as he recovered from his light shock - "Wait, I know you..! You're Piper, Dr Gaster's daughter. Am I correct?"  
"Yes, that's me. I came here because there's something I wanted to ask you." - Piper said as she stepped up towards the famous robot - "Can you please tell me how I can meet your cousin?"  
"Blooky? But he already lives in the Monsters Village." - Mettaton replied with a frown.  
"No, your _other_ cousin, Mad Mew Mew." - the little girl clarified - "I've seen the movie she plays in, and I adore her so much! She's pretty, cute and cool! I want to meet her for real so badly!"  
"Wait, so you sneaked in my room so you can meet _her_?" - Mettaton got a somewhat outraged look, then crossed his arms and turned his head away - "I'm scandalized!"  
"Oh, don't take it that way..." - Piper caressed his metal arm - "You're pretty classy too. I mean it. Your songs are nice."  
"Well, if you admire me too, I guess I can make you meet my cousin." - Mettaton smiled.  
At that moment, he got a phone call. With an annoyed sigh, he answered:  
"Yes? I was in the middle of something here."  
"I'm sorry for the derangement, sir." - a man said - "But we just cought two boys in the kitchen. Probably trying to steal food. And apparently, they also attacked two of our men."  
Mettaton looked down at Piper and whispered:  
"One of the boys is your brother, I suppose?"  
Piper just nodded. Mettaton then reassured the man in the phone that the kids were not a threat and requested him to bring them to his apartement.

Meantime, Noelle arrived at the hotel. She exited from her car and noticed a taxi driver standing nearby. She walked up to him and asked if he's seen the children.  
"Two boys and one girl. One of the boys is a puppy monster. The human boy has brown hair like mine and the girl has blonde hair tied in a ponytail." - she described.  
"Sure I saw them. I personally drove them here. But they ran away without paying me." - the man replied - "They owe me 75 g."  
"I'm very sorry about that..." - Noelle took some money from her pocket and handed to him.  
"Thank you, miss. Out of curiousity, they ran away from home or something?"  
"No, they're just desperate fans."  
Noelle then entered the hotel, where the receptionist explained her what happened. The twins' mother felt a bit of anger when she heard the kids hurt the security men. She then took the lift that led her to the floor where resided Mettaton. Noelle couldn't help but think that everytime the celebrity was involved, it ended up in a disaster. When she arrived to the door, she didn't bother to knock. She just entered and found Mettaton talking with the three children, and sharing with them his food.  
"Oh, hello darling!" - Mettaton's face lit up when he saw Noelle - "Come closer, don't be shy!"  
"I'm surely no shy now. I'm angry!" - Noelle said, sending a sharp look at the twins - "What the heck you two were thinking?! I just can't believe you ventured to the city alone! You could've got lost or hurt!"  
"W-we're sorry..." - Piper said as she looked down.  
"I haven't finished! You take a taxi only to run away without paying, you attack the hotel guards… What's next?! You'll kill somebody?!" - Noelle kept yelling.  
The kids and Mettaton could clearly see the anger written on her face. For a brief moment, her irises even glowed red. When Noelle let it all out, her upper body was trembling, as she tried to calm herself down. After a moment of silence, Pupamy spoke up with a small voice:  
"Don't blame them for the guards… I was the one who attacked them with my magic."  
"Pupamy..." - Noelle shook her head - "And do you realize you scared your parents?"  
The pup looked down in shame. Then, something unexpected happened. The kids started to try take all the blame on themselves. Piper for absolutely wanting to meet Mew Mew, Sam for having the idea to go there by themselves, and Pupamy for suggesting to catch Mettaton after the concert. The argument was almost funny to watch, each of the kids saying "It was my fault!" and "No, it was all mine!". Mettaton then stepped in the argument and said:  
"Kids, it wouldn't have happened if the mommy directly accepted to take you see me."  
"Don't try to put all the blame on me, Mettaton!" - Noelle said harshly.  
"But it's true! Was it so hard to come chat with me?" - Mettaton asked - "Or you hate my songs that much?"  
"I don't hate your _songs_, but I hate what you did to me in Undertown!" - Noelle replied.  
"What? You still haven't moved on? Wow, you're a spiteful one!"  
"How can I 'move on' when I never got a formal and honest apology?"  
The robot paused. It was true that he treated her badly back then and never really felt sorry about it, his mind being all business-centered. So, he haven't seen the need to apologize. But now that Mettaton had all the memories of his true self, especially how Frisk learned him to care for others, he understood that Noelle didn't deserve the humiliation he put her through. Mettaton let out a long sigh and then looked into Noelle's green eyes and said with a sincere tone:  
"Noelle Dreemurr... I am sorry for all the trash I said about you on tv. I do realize my actions were very wrong. I know there's no excuse, but I hope you'll find it in you to forgive me. Allow me to make it up for you. You can ask me any favor."  
"You seem sincere now... So, if you really are sorry and want my forgiveness, I guess I can grant it." - Noelle replied with a slightly softer tone - "As for a favor, can you just make Piper meet Mew Mew?"  
"Already done, darling." - Mettaton replied with a wink.  
Everyone frowned in confusion. A knock got heard on the door. Mettaton shouted a "come in", after what… Mad Mew Mew entered the room, wearing her neatest dress. Piper's eyes widened as soon as she saw her.  
"Hellooo everyone!" - Mew Mew waved her hand, then approached the little girl - "You must be Piper, my little fan? Nice to meet you!"  
Piper shakily took the catgirl's hand to greet her, feeling speechless. Mew Mew then unexpectingly pulled her into a hug. Piper's face turned all red - she was hugging her idol! - then grew pale until… her world grew black. She passed out in Mew Mew's arms.

About thirty minutes later, Noelle was driving the children back home. They were mostly silent, until Sam asked:  
"Are you still angry, Noelle?"  
"Yes. At some level." - his mother answered - "What you did is just unacceptable. You made us worry, damn it!"  
"We're very, very sorry." - Piper said once again with regret.  
"Ugh... You have yet to apologize to your father." - Noelle reminded.  
"Oh no..." - Sam and Piper moaned simultanuously, then Sam said - "He'll definitely kill us."  
"He surely will." - Noelle said with a nod.  
The kids exchanged a look. Pupamy wasn't thrilled either to face his own parents. But as much as they feared the punishement, they felt better than they've ever been inside. Because that little adventure created a new friendship.

* * *

**A/N: This light-hearted chapter was meant to be like a small break from the drama, since all the serious things resumes in the next chapter. It's just nice to have a small adventure featuring Sam and Piper, and they finally get a friend in Pupamy! ^^ ****Also, it was an occasion to allow Mettaton to apologize to Noelle for the slander he told about her on tv back in the first arc. I thought it shouldn't simply be forgotten. **

**Pupamy isn't actually afraid of Noelle. He was just somewhat intimidated when she highly recommanded him to not bully her children again. And so, he prefers to not mess with her. (However, he is afraid of Gaster.) **  
**Oh, and Noelle understands Gaster through the phone thanks to that app Alphys created with him years ago. She has it installed on her phone too.**

**The song mentioned in this chapter actually belongs to Fandroid MUSIC! on Youtube. You're probably familiar with it? If you aren't, go listen to this! Like, right now! xD **


	28. Chapter 28

**Hello everybody! I hope you all had a good Christmas. Mine was good too. Anyway, here's the next chapter. I must warn you, it gets sad and a bit scary from there. But you hang on with me, okay? ^^"**

* * *

A few days passed since the trip to the city. Sam, Piper and Pupamy have been scolded and punished by their parents. The three kids surely didn't go through a good time. But the experience also permitted Noelle to actually feel like being a parent to them. When she expressed her anger in the MTT hotel, it was probably the first time she acted like a mother. Before that, Noelle's been acting towards the twins more like a friend or a big sister. And the realization made her feel weird. Noelle exposed her complex feelings to Frisk.  
"I was fully conscious that Sam and Piper are my children from the start, and I started to see them as such back in Undertown. But I think that until now, I wasn't truly seeing myself as their mother." - Noelle explained - "I wonder if it's normal?"  
"I didn't live your situation, so I cannot know for sure… but I think there's nothing abnormal in the way you feel." - Frisk said thoughtfully - "The parent-child bonds can be a funny thing, especially in the case of an adoption. Being an adopted child myself, I know one thing or two about it."  
"How long did it take you to start seeing Toriel and Asgore as your parents?" - Noelle asked curiuosly.  
"With Toriel, it came rather naturally. I started to her 'Mom' not very long after we met. Maybe because she reminded me of my biological mother, in a way." - Frisk rememebered her time in the Ruins with a smile - "With Asgore however, it took more time. I mean, I got along well with him way before he reconciled with my mom. But it was months after this that I started to refer to him as my father."  
"This makes me wonder how Sam and Piper feel towards me." - Noelle commented - "If it took me this long to fully realize I'm their mother, so maybe they don't exactly view us as an actual family either."  
"What are you talking about? Of course they see you as their family!" - Frisk reassured her - "They love you so much. You made them feel safer and cared for during the darkest period of their life."  
Noelle smiled a little at this. She hoped that Frisk was right and that the twins truly saw her as their mother. Noelle mused at how nice it would be. They could finally be properly called a mother and her children… But then, she frowned.  
"Ugh, even if we see each other as parent and children, we won't be seen that way officially." - she noted with a sigh - "Legally, they're not mine, they're Gaster's."  
Frisk was about to reply something, but Sans meddled in the conversation.  
"they're his on the paper. but the adoption happened in the other world. in __this__ world, it has no real value."  
"Sans, it's not something you can say." - Frisk reprimanded him - "A family is more than just papers. It's most importantly a socio-emotional bond."  
"i was just saying." - Sans shrugged before opening a bottle of ketchup and taking a sip from it - "but think of this opportunity. noelle can have her second chance with the kids."  
"Noelle can have it anyway." - Frisk stated, then turned to her daughter - "You don't need a mention in papers to make you the kids' mother. If they already see you that way, it's more than enough to make you three a family."  
"Y-yeah, you're right Frisk." - Noelle replied with a small nod.  
Sans' words made her think though. Noelle knew that Sam and Piper were registered as Gaster's children and had his last name on their IDs. However, if Noelle proved her blood tie with them (and thus having a closer link than Gaster), the administration could possibly change that and register them as __her__ kids instead. Sans' suggestion was indeed a tempting one. __"I could fix my mistake and redeem myself."__ \- Noelle thought. But then, she shook her head. __"No."__ \- she told herself firmly - __"I promised Gaster I'd help him through harsh times. Making him a dirty move like this is not an option."  
__~~~~~~~~~~  
The next day, Noelle woke up with a feeling of anxiety. She had briefly seen the vision again, right before her awakening. Every time she was having it made her feel worse. Because every time it was coming back, it meant that the possibility of Frisk dying still remained. Noelle wished the vision could disappear. It would mean the problem was fixed, but it was obviously not the case. __"And I still didn't gather the courage to tell Frisk…"__ \- Noelle thought as she made her way to the bathroom. As she brushed her teeth, Noelle guessed that the more she and her mother were getting closer, the more difficult it was for her to tell about the vision. With attachement to her family, her fears were only rising, and fear made her feel like she was losing control. But she had to stay strong no matter what. She had to hold into the people she cared about, like the Annoying Dog advised her. This made Noelle think back to her conversation with Frisk about the twins. __"I should perhaps ask them how they feel towards me…"__ \- she thought - __"We never actually talked about my choice to give them up. Even though they seem to have forgiven me, I shouldn't let my past taint our good relationship."__

At school, in the end of the afternoon, Sam, Piper and Pupamy were talking about what happened during the P.E. lesson. Or rather, Pupamy and Piper were teasing Sam about what he said to the teacher. In fact, they've been doing high jumps and Sam wasn't very good at this. And when the teacher tried to re-explain what he had to do to improve, Sam shouted an excuse that made Pupamy laugh. The pup kept laughing since then, which annoyed Sam a bit. Piper seemed to have taken the dog's side too, since she said she found the excuse funny too.  
"Come on, I didn't say __anything__ funny!" - Sam exclaimed.  
"Didn't you hear yourself?" - Piper replied, trying to suppress a giggle - "You had such an irritated look and you… __shouted__ at the teacher with annoyance… and __seriousness__..!"  
"I'll always remember your reply to his remark!" - Pupamy pursued - "He said with a low and reproaching tone 'Come on, Sam! Your sister did just fine, so it's not that hard!', and you say, moving your arms around 'Piper's legs are just longer than mine!'."  
Pupamy and Piper laughed again at the imitation of the phrase. Just like the entire class had bursted out in laughter earlier. Sam glared at his sister and his friend and crossed his arms.  
"But what's __funny__ in what I said?" - Sam dared them to properly explain - "I only said the truth! Piper's legs __are__ a little bit longer than mine."  
"It's mostly __the way__ you said it!" - Pupamy replied - "And honestly, who'd come up with such a lame excuse?"  
"But it's not lame! The longer are the legs, the better you jump!"  
"Maybe, but... the teacher wasn't impressed… haha…" - Piper remarked between giggles - "And... it's as though you… you actually __measured__ and compared before..!"  
"Pff, seriously grow up you two…" - Sam muttered under his breath.  
But it was clear that he wasn't actually angry at Piper and Pupamy, but rather… flustered. And this was what amused the two other children. At that moment, they noticed Noelle coming to pick them up. Sam and Piper walked up to the gate and Pupamy followed to say 'hello' to his friends' mother.  
"Hello, kids." - Noelle greeted her children - "Did you have a good day at school?"  
"It was hilarious." - Piper replied with a giggle.  
"Oh stop that already!" - Sam ordered with an annoyed look.  
"Hello, Noelle." - Pupamy said with a growing smile - "And yeah, it was quite funny today."  
"Hi, Pupamy." - Noelle smiled at the dog boy - "What happened that was funny?"  
Pupamy and Piper told Noelle about the incident during the P.E. lesson, while Sam shook his head in annoyance. When the kids were done, Noelle immediately brought her hand to her mouth, unsuccessfully trying to suppress her laughter.  
"See? Even your mother laughs!" - Pupamy pointed out to Sam - "So, it __is__ funny!"  
"Argh, fine! Can we move on now?" - Sam requested.  
"Wow, don't rage Sam!" - Piper replied with an amused expression.  
"Now, now, I think Sam got enough teasing today." - Noelle said to Piper and Pupamy - "Okay, so let's go? Say hello to your parents from me, Pupamy."  
"I will. Good evening, guys!" - Pupamy replied.  
As Noelle, Sam and Piper were going away from the school, Noelle remarked that she was glad the twins had a friend now. She then asked if things were getting better with the other people.  
"Nah, that didn't change." - Sam replied - "They keep staring whenever we pass nearby and refuse to talk to us unless it's really necessary."  
"They even neglected Pupamy." - Piper added - "Just because he's our friend now."  
"At least they don't insult you…" - Noelle sighed - "It's unfair how they neglect you just because you bear Gaster's name."  
"Yeah, but it's just the way it is…" - Sam shrugged - "But we don't let this get to us."  
"Right! Because what matters is what we know and not what the others think they know." - Piper said with a confident tone.  
"Oh? What do you mean by that?" - Noelle asked curiously.  
"Well, the others think Dad's all evil, but that's because they don't really know him. But Sam and I know it's not true, and that's enough for us." - Piper explained - "Also, people see us as the children of a mad scientist, but we know better. Sam and I know we're more than that, we're also the children of the Savior! It's more than enough to make us happy!"  
"And we don't care if the others don't see it that way." - Sam added.  
What they said touched Noelle. It reminded her of what she wanted to talk with them about. She suggested them to go to Grillby's and order some hot drinks. It only made Sam and Piper happy. So, they went to the bar-restaurant Grillby owned and, as soon as they entered, the fire elemental smiled at the sight of them. His former waitress barely showed up around after the undoing of the De-Code, and thus it was a joy to see her again.  
"Hello, Grillby." - Noelle greeted the man of fire - "May I order three cocoas?"  
"Hi, Noelle. It's nice to see you here." - Grillby replied with a not very loud tone - "And your order's coming."  
Noelle and the twins found an empty table and sat there. It didn't take long for Grillby to bring them the three cups of cocoa. After Noelle thanked him and he left, she said to the kids she brought them here because she needed to talk with them about something important.  
"What is it? It's nothing terrible, is it?" - Piper asked.  
"No, don't worry." - Noelle reassured her - "In fact, I was just thinking about… us."  
"What do you mean?" - Sam asked on his turn.  
"I realized that you and I grew close in the time we got to know each other. Well, at least that's how I feel. I was wondering how you two were feeling about our situation. Are you, uh… comfortable enough around me?" - Noelle asked - "How do you feel when we're together?"  
"Wait… are you asking us if we see you as our mom?" - Piper quickly understood the unspoken question.  
"Well... y-yes. That's basically what I meant to ask." - Noelle nodded with a light blush.  
Sam and Piper exchanged a look, after what Sam said:  
"We like to be with you. You made us a lot happier. If you want to be a mother to us, that's what I want too."  
"I always wanted you to be our mom!" - Piper said on her turn - "I've dreamed of this since the day we found you! I'm so happy!"  
Noelle felt warm from hearing those words coming from her children. She could feel it - they were her children, and __she was their mother__. She smiled at them, then took their hands in hers:  
"I'm glad you see me as your mother. I had to ask because… I thought that maybe a part of you still held a grudge against me. Because I didn't entirely fogive myself for abandoning you. I never really wanted to, but I did. And sometimes I feel as though I don't really deserve you."  
"Hey, don't worry about that." - Sam smiled at her - "It's in the past. We fogave you long ago."  
"We know you gave us for adoption so we could have a better life." - Piper said - "You always did what was better for us."  
"That's true." - Sam pursued - "Not only that time, but also when we found you. You could've left the town that day, but you didn't. You made the choice to stay."  
"Thank you... for your understanding." - Noelle replied - "I've berated myself for so long after your birth that even now I sometimes feel like I can never be good enough for you two. But I'm always trying my best. And I'm happy you're giving me - no, us - this second chance."  
"And we're happy you're doing your best." - Sam said honestly.

It was about ten minutes later that Noelle brought the kids at their and Gaster's home. When Gaster let them in, he raised an eyebrow and asked what took them so long to come back.  
"I believe school ended about twenty-five minutes ago." - he remarked - "Were you walking at a snail rate? Or did you just forget to pick them up, Noelle?"  
"No, I didn't forget. I picked them up at the usual time." - Noelle answered.  
"We just made a small detour at Grillby's. Mom bought us some cocoa." - Piper explained.  
Gaster stiffened as soon as Piper said that. Noelle's eyes widened a bit, in pleasant surprise. Piper noticed her father's expression, so she asked what was wrong.  
"You said… __'Mom'__ bought you some cocoa?" - Gaster stated.  
Piper looked back at Noelle, to get a confirmation, then her face flushed red as she realized what she said.  
"O-oh... I... I uh, didn't notice…" - she said awkwardly - "I meant '__Noelle__ bought some cocoa', haha…"  
"Anyway, we have homework to do." - Sam said and pulled his sister to follow him upstairs, to escape the awkwardness they could sense in the air.  
Noelle and Gaster stared at each other for a moment. Gaster had an expecting look, while Noelle had an awkward one. The former Royal Scientist spoke up first.  
"So, you're 'Mom' now? That's new. Where did this come from?"  
"It must've been a slip of the tongue." - Noelle replied, fidgetting - "It's just that at Grillby's, we had a talk about how we should view our relationship… And we agreed that… we want to be more than… whatever we were until now…"  
Even though she couldn't express coherently what she meant, Gaster could see what she meant pretty easily. It was something he expected to happen at some point. Something he knew he once feared to happen. And now, it did.  
"Look, it's something I was planning to discuss with you after I'd ask the kids their opinion." - Noelle said in an attempt to ease Gaster's tension.  
"Let's discuss it then. What do you have to say on the matter?"  
Noelle didn't like the tone Gaster used. It was way too flat for the situation.  
"The question is what __you__ have to say on the matter." - Noelle pointed out - "Look, I know it's probably uncomfortable for you. But I'm now part of the twins' lives, whether you like this or not. They found me, they want me to be their mother and they know all their family. So maybe you should… accept me as their mother?"  
"If I accept you as Sam and Piper's mother, I suppose there are some changes in the lifestyle you want to instore?" - Gaster asked, but it sounded more like a statement.  
"Well... yes." - Noelle admitted - "When you revise a relationship, changes are in order."  
"Let's say Sam and Piper see you as their mother now. But what exactly do you expect from this situation? You want perhaps that they leave my house to live in yours?"  
"An interchanging custody would be nice, actually." - Noelle said honestly.  
"Are you serious right now?" - Gaster asked, unimpressed - "There are only three rooms in your house, all occupied. Where do you think the children would sleep? On the couch?"  
"Well, it's true that for now interchange isn't very handy… the kids could just sleepover from time to time? But my situation won't last! Eventually, I'll quit my parents' house and get a house or flat of my own!"  
"It's not about to happen soon, is it?" - Gaster asked ironically - "You're still not accustomed to your new life, you have a long way to go. You don't even have a job, thus no money!"  
"That's temporary, I plan to study next year. Toriel said she'll finance me..!"  
"When you'll be done with your studies, then we can talk. But for now, the kids are staying here."  
Gaster said it as though he didn't want to discuss the matter any longer. But for some reason, Noelle didn't want to leave it be. Normally, she'd know better and would leave Gaster alone. But now, she was in a mood to assert her rights.  
"Do you really think that being so much around you is beneficial to the kids?"  
"Excuse me?!"  
"I mean, the twins don't have many friends. Why? Because others see them as the children of a mad scientist!" - Noelle pointed out - "To make their life better, we should perhaps make the others unsee that negative image."  
"And how do you want to do that? There's nothing I can do about my reputation and even though the people know Sam and Piper are your children too, the bad blurs the good! I can't erase my mistakes, and as much as I hate it too, the kids will just have to live through this..!"  
"We can always change their last name."  
Noelle regretted immediately what she said. But she couldn't take it back. Gaster's good eyesocket widened for a brief moment, before he said in a dangerously calm tone:  
"Are you... implying... you want to __recognize__ the children as your own?"  
"W-well, that's not exactly what I was saying..." - Noelle replied as her face sweated in nervousness, before she just sighed and decided to be honest - "You know what? __Yes.__ Yes, I want our bond to be official. I want them to be Dreemurrs."  
"You realize that if you make them Dreemurrs, you'll deprive me from my parenthood… don't you?"  
"N-not really, you'll still be their parent..! They'll just have a different name, it won't change who you are to them..!"  
"If a name's just a name, why not leave it alone then?" - Gaster crossed his arms, his look getting irritated.  
"Well, uh..." - Noelle wasn't sure what to answer - "B-because as Dreemurrs, they'll… have better opportunities…"  
"No, I think I get it. You grew a little too possessive of the children, didn't you? Now that you grew closer, you want to snatch them from me." - Gaster said with an accusing tone - "You, the perfect little Savior, can't stand the thought you wronged them! And the idea that the evil scientist has what you crave for, makes you sick! You should find another way to discard your envy."  
Noelle didn't like to hear what Gaster was saying. Her clenched fists started to tremble, while the doctor kept going.  
"There's no way back, you made your choice long ago. So now, you must learn to accept the consequences!"  
"Maybe you should ask yourself who out of us two deserves the kids more!" - Noelle snapped.  
A silence followed her words. For a short moment, Gaster's face reflected pain. But it hardened quickly afterwards. He refused to look at her in the eyes, when he spoke again:  
"Typical human... ...I believe there's nothing left to say. Think whatever you want, but you have no right to snatch my children from me. Good evening, __Miss Dreemurr__."  
With an angry expression, Noelle left the house and rushed to her house. She was filled with anger, but not really at Gaster. It was mostly directed to herself. When she arrived at home, she let herself fall on the couch and, burying her face in the pillow, she let out a long and loud scream, letting out all the bottled-up emotions. Hearing her scream, Papyrus approached her and saw that Noelle was trembling, her face still in the pillow. She was crying. Papyrus sat down next to her and asked:  
"NOELLE, WHAT HAPPENED?"  
She didn't answer. Frisk and Sans approached her on their turn and requested her to look at them and tell what happened. After a moment, Noelle slowly raised her head and started to speak with a trembling and erratic voice.  
"I... I screwed up today..! I'm screwing up everything lately! Why can't I d-do things right..? Why?"  
"What are you talking about, Noelle?" - Frisk asked - "What did you do?"  
"Like and idiot, I asked Gaster if he'd accept to change the twins' last name to 'Dreemurr'..! He didn't like it, so it quickly escalated into an argument..! And… and then, I lost control and said what I should never have said!" - Noelle replied, her tone still nervous and trembling - "I promised him I'd be on his side, but I just did the opposite..! I'm a terrible person!"  
"come on, kid. ya know you're good." - Sans tried to reassure her - "the doc just has that ability to make us do the bad things."  
"Th-that doesn't help..!" - Noelle replied before sobbing again.  
"NOELLE, YOU ARE A GOOD PERSON, YOU JUST MADE A MISTAKE!" - Papyrus said, not liking to see his daughter berating herself - "I KNOW YOU'LL MAKE THINGS BETTER. IT'LL BE ALL OKAY..!"  
But Noelle didn't seem to really hear him as she kept crying. Papyrus, wanting to comfort her, put his hands over Noelle's shoulders, but she straightened up in an irritated way and yelled:  
"Ugh, __don't touch me!__"  
Papyrus' hands retrieved authomatically at her words. Noelle noticed that Papyrus got a hurt expression on his face. Sans and Frisk looked at him with sympathy, knowing what those words mean to him. Papyrus wrapped his arms around himself, like when one does when feeling unsecure. Noelle wasn't sure what she did to upset him, but she could see that she clearly did. Ashamed, she stood up and rushed out of the house.  
"Noelle..!" - Frisk called for her, unsuccessfully.  
"bro, you're ok?" - Sans asked his brother.  
"Y-YES, I... I'M ALRIGHT." - Papyrus replied, but it was clear he wasn't really alright.  
"It brought back sad memories." - Frisk guessed as she sat next to Papyrus and took his hand in hers - "I'm sure Noelle didn't meean to upset you. She's just very agitated… I wish I knew what makes her feel that way. I can clearly see that something's bothering her, but she keeps it to heerself. Just… what could it be..?"  
Sans let out a heavy sigh and looked down. Frisk noticed and immediately understood that he knew more than she did.  
"Sans..?" - she asked - "Perhaps you have an idea?"  
"uh, what makes you say that, frisk?" - Sans replied, his tone awkward.  
"YOU DEFINITELY KNOW SOMETHING, SANS! YOU HAVE THAT LOOK!" - Papyrus stated.  
"well, i don't exactly 'know', but..." - Sans started, hesitating.  
"But she __did__ tell you something, am I correct?" - Frisk asked.  
"she once mentioned there's a vision she's having lately. she didn't want to tell what it was about, but it looks like it's bad. and apparently, it's about you two."  
"About... me and Papyrus..?"  
"i told her she'd better tell you about it. but looks like she didn't feel like it. and i couldn't force her." - Sans said - "so if you wanna know about the vision, you'll have to ask her yourself."  
Frisk got pensive for a moment, then she stood up and declared she'd go look for Noelle and talk with her. Papyrus suggested to come along, but Frisk replied that she should by herself so Noelle wouldn't feel too much pressure. And soon, Frisk exited her house and it didn't take her so long to find her daughter. Noelle was sitting on the ground in an area outside the village. There was nothing but a few trees around. Frisk approached Noelle and sat down next to her. They sat in silence for a moment, until Noelle spoke quietly.  
"I really lost control of my life, Frisk... I'm screwing everything up. I promised Gaster that I'd help him through the trials of life to come, but today I threatened to keep the kids just for myself. I was saying it was in Sam and Piper's interests, but in fact I was just being selfish. And then, when Papyrus only wanted to calm me down, I hurt his feelings…"  
Noelle then hugged one of her legs closer to her body. Frisk put her hand over her shoulder and said gently:  
"You made mistakes, but I'm sure it's not too late to fix them. I'm sure that if you apologize, Gaster will eventually forgive and your children's happiness won't be harmed. As for Papyrus… you didn't hurt his feelings per se. Your words simply triggered some bad memories."  
"What do you mean..? What did I do?" - Noelle asked curiously.  
"You said 'don't touch me'. It was a phrase Papyrus often heard during his childhood from Gaster. Papyrus' so needy and thus he often tried to touch or hug Gaster, who'd always tell him to not touch him and push him away." - Frisk explained.  
"Oh... I had no idea..." - Noelle replied before looking down again - "Now I feel even worse."  
"Don't worry, Papyrus' not mad at you. He's more concerned about you now, just like I am." - Frisk wrapped one arm around Noelle's back - "We all have our bad days sometimes and feel as if our world's going upside down. You got too carried away when you decided to upgrade your relationship with the twins… but there's more to this, right?"  
Noelle stiffened. She knew what the true reason was. The exact same reason she couldn't tell Frisk. But Frisk was determined to find out what was troubling her daughter.  
"Noelle, I've noticed some... err, 'oddities' in your behaviour those past few days. And I can't help but feel that there's something wrong, but you're afraid to tell me. Whatever that thing is, it's clearly eating you from the inside. Today's incident is evidence enough." - Frisk said gently, yet seriously - "So, maybe it's time you tell me what's wrong? You mustn't be afraid."  
"Frisk, it's... complicated. You're right, there is something that's on my mind lately. I wanted to tell it once, but I backed up because it's honestly too scary to hear."  
"Please, tell me. I'm not scared, I'm ready to hear it, no matter what it is." - Frisk encouraged Noelle to talk.  
"...I guess I can't hide it forever." - Noelle sighed - "But I think it'll be better if we go home first. It'll be easier if I tell you, Papyrus and Sans at once."  
Frisk nodded, after what she and Noelle stood up. Noelle knew telling the truth was the right thing to do.  
__Her will to make things right with her family filled her with determination.__  
The two women headed the village, until suddenly, something trapped Frisk's feet. She gasped as her entire body was quickly getting restrained too. She was trapped in vines.  
"Frisk..!" - Noelle gasped.  
At that moment, Flowey emerged from under the ground and smiled with a wink.  
"Howdy! Did you miss me? Long time no see!"  
Even though it was the first time Noelle was seeing the living flower, his childish smile and crazy gaze enlightened her on his identity quickly enough.  
"F-Flowey..?" - Noelle asked.  
"Bingo! Your brain has improved since our last encounter!" - Flowey said with a wide grin.  
"Let Frisk go!" - Noelle ordered - "What do you want?!"  
"I spoke too quickly. You're still as braindead as before." - Flowey groaned - "I want the same thing as before - your SOUL!"  
"I'll never give you my SOUL! And I won't let you hurt Frisk! Not without a fight!"  
"Ooh, now it's becoming interesting!"  
And so, a fight started between Noelle and the psycho-flower. Noelle could finally apply and demonstrate everything she learned during her magic lessons. The battle was a though one. Flowey could do about anything with his vines, but Noelle was a skillful user of magic bones. She could create many of them at once, in different patterns, either to directly hit Flowey or to shield herself. During the entire battle, Frisk was struggling to get free, but the grasp around her was too tight. So, she had no other choice but to watch helplessly how her daughter was fighting against the flower. At some point, Noelle tried to use blue magic, but nothing happened. She did everything like during her lessons, yet it didn't work.  
"Haha, you idiot! I'm soulless, your blue magic doesn't work on me!" - Flowey remarked.  
Then, before Noelle could do anything else, Flowey made his vines around Frisk grow longer, until it snaked around her neck. Seeing this, Noelle was about to hit Flowey with a bone but the grip around the neck tightened, which made her stop.  
"If you attempt anything against me, I'll break your mom's neck!" - Flowey threatened.  
"Just stop it! Please let her go!" - Noelle begged.  
"Oh no, I need her for bargaining! Here's the deal: you give me your SOUL and I spare Frisk. What do you say?"  
"No, Noelle! Don't give him your SOUL!" - Frisk cried to her daughter.  
"So? What'll be your choice, Noelle? The savior won't let her mother die, will she?" - Flowey tempted.  
Noelle felt paralyzed. What was she supposed to do? She absolutely wanted Frisk to be safe, but at the same time she knew it wasn't what Frisk wanted from her. She couldn't just let Flowey get what he wanted! Noelle then remembered the story Frisk once told her about Asriel. So maybe there was a way to convince Flowey?  
"Flowey, you're bluffing... I-I'm pretty sure you are..!" - Noelle tried to sound sure - "I know that... that deep down, you care for Frisk. After what she did for you once, you… you just wouldn't kill her..!"  
"Wouldn't I?" - Flowey grinned maniacally.  
Then, in one swift movement, he broke Frisk's neck. A __crack!__ got heard before the vines released her and let Frisk fall lifeless on the ground.  
"No!" - Noelle screamed loudly.  
"Mwahaha! You stupid, selfish girl! You chose your life over your mother's." - Flowey taunted her.  
__"No, no... It's nothing like that..."__ \- Noelle thought to herself - __"I didn't! I actually thought he wouldn't kill her..."__  
"Your own SOUL was more precious to you than her." - Flowey kept going - "Now that you have your life safe, you can enjoy all the pain and grief it has to offer, haha. See ya!"  
After that, Flowey disappeared under the ground. But Noelle didn't care. Her shocked eyes were fixated on Frisk. She then saw the red SOUL appear from her body, levitating above it. This was it. What Noelle feared the most happened. Frisk was dead.

* * *

**A/N: My heart had broke several times back when I was writing this chapter… :( **

**I'm very sorry if Noelle acts a bit "jerky" in this chapter. But like you can probably see, the reasons are deeper than that. Her fear to lose her mother soon led her to be overly possessive of her children, and this possessiveness blurred her mind and inforced a mild envy that she had. (And her guilt played a part too...) Hence why she said things she normally would never say. Gaster on the other hand, when he heard Piper call Noelle "Mom", felt threatened, since he's so used to lose the people he cares for, that he thought Sam and Piper would leave him on their turn. And thus, Noelle and Gaster clashed. **


	29. Chapter 29

**Here's the next chapter! Hope you'll enjoy. Also, Happy New Year to everybody!**

* * *

Noelle was paralyzed in shock. As she looked at the lifeless Frisk lying on the ground, with her SOUL floating above, her eyes filled with tears. __"No... No, she can't be gone..!"__ \- Noelle's mind screamed. She then fell on her knees and yelled a pained "No!". Tears started to fall on the ground, while sobs left the woman's lips. She then faintly heard footsteps approach.  
"NOELLE? WHAT HAPPEN-"  
It was Papyrus. The skeleton had gotten worried while waiting for his wife and daughter to return. He had thus decided to go look for them, despite Sans' protests, having some bad feeling. Papyrus saw his wife lying on the ground and her SOUL no longer being one with the body. His eyesockets widened and he rushed to Frisk and took her in his arms.  
"OH MY GOODNESS, FRISK..!" - Papyrus exclaimed, then looked at the glowing red heart as tears filled his eyesockets - "FRISK... HUMAN WIFE, WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU..?"  
Noelle looked at her father with a pained expression. Her cheeks and nose were red from crying and there were tear stains all over her face. With another sob, she spoke:  
"Papyrus... She… I tried to prevent this… but Flowey, he… Flowey killed her… I'm so sorry… I'm sorry, it's my fault… I couldn't protect her… I couldn't save her…"  
Papyrus was barely hearing what Noelle was saying. His mind was focused on the fact that his beloved was no longer alive. But at the same time, he couldn't accept this.  
"NO... NO, NO..! FRISK, YOU CAN'T BE GONE! WE ALL NEED YOU TOO MUCH…! PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME…" - Papyrus hugged Frisk's body to his chest - "HUMAN WIFE... I NEED YOU IN MY LIFE… YOU'RE THE SPARK I CAN'T BEAR TO LOSE, REMEMBER..? PLEASE COME BACK… I KNOW YOU CAN COME BACK..! YOU ALWAYS COULD... PLEASE... COME BACK TO ME, COME BACK TO NOELLE… I KNOW YOU CAN…"  
Tears were falling endlessly from Papyrus' eyesockets, as he refused to let go of Frisk. The red SOUL seemed to alter from a stronger to a fainted glow from time to time, as though in pain to see him that way. As Noelle watched the scene and heard Papyrus' beg to come back to them, realization hit her. She remembered what Frisk told her about determination.  
__"My determination permitted me to go back in time and retry what I was doing again." __  
"Frisk can't come back… but I can..!" - Noelle said to herself as she stood up.  
Papyrus kept crying, no longer able to say anything. Noelle slightly approached him and put a hand on his shoulder. The skeleton looked up at her with sad eyes. His expression of grief was a painful sight. But soon, Noelle would make sure this never happened. She said with a determined, yet a bit shaky, tone:  
"Don't worry, Papyrus. In a moment, you won't even remember it happened."  
Noelle closed her eyes and concentrated. She could feel how her SOUL gathered all the determination she had within and then, she felt as if her head - or maybe the world around her - was slightly spinning. She also felt a stange warmth within her body.

...

__Her will to make things right with her family filled her with determination.__  
Noelle looked around. It worked. She did it. She returned back to the moment when she and Frisk were about to return to the Monsters Village. Noelle breathed out in relief and teared up a little when she saw Frisk standing next to her, alive and well.  
"Frisk... Thank goodness..!" - Noelle hugged her tightly.  
Frisk returned the hug for a brief moment, before she pulled away and said with a hint of fear:  
"Noelle, no… What did you do…?"  
At that moment, the same thing happened like the first time. Roots caught Frisk's feet before twining around her body, restraining her. Like the previous time, she was unable to move, regardless of her struggling. Once more, Flowey emerged from the ground at that moment.  
"Howdy!" - he said with a smile - "Starting to regret our choices, aren't we?"  
"Let Frisk go, Flowey!" - Noelle ordered.  
"Sorry, but you already know the conditions! It's Frisk's life for your SOUL!"  
"Noelle, don't you dare-!" - Frisk screamed.  
Some vines gagged her, not letting her finish her protest. Noelle looked down at Flowey and after a moment, she asked:  
"If I give you my SOUL, you __swear__ you'll let her go?!"  
Frisk struggled again, trying to shout something, but the vines muffled her screams and words. Flowey bowed his head with exaggerated drama, and said:  
"You have my word."  
"Th-then it's a d-deal..." - Noelle replied.  
Her heart was beating very fast inside. Noelle felt as though her legs would surrender at any moment. She was scared. She didn't want to die. But if she could save Frisk and the rest of her family from the psycho-flower, spare Papyrus from an unavoidable grief, fix some of her mistakes… she was willing to give her own life. With the right concentration, she managed to pull her SOUL forward. Flowey's eyes shone when he saw the pink heart floating in front of Noelle's chest.  
"Finally… It was a pleasure to make a deal with you, Noelle!"  
Then, while releasing Frisk from her restrains, Flowey used another vine to grab Noelle's SOUL and violently pulled it to him. Noelle let out a sharp cry when she felt her SOUL being ripped out from her. It was the last thing she actually felt, until she fell unconscious on the ground. Frisk watched in horror how Flowey absorbed her daughter's SOUL. The flower then grunted and started to shudder. But before Frisk had the time to attempt anything against him, Flowey disappeared under the ground.  
"No, no!" - Frisk yelled as she rushed towards the spot where Flowey disappeared, then turned to Noelle - "Oh my God, Noelle..! You shouldn't have done this..! You shouldn't have gone back..!"  
She then heard footsteps and so she looked up. It was Papyrus. He came, driven by a bad feeling, like the previous time.  
"NOELLE!" - he shouted and ran to her - "FRISK, WHAT HAPPENED TO HER?"  
"Flowey attacked us by surprise! And he ripped out Noelle's SOUL..!" - Frisk replied, shaking - "He... he trapped me, and accepted to release me only if Noelle willingly gave him her SOUL… Which she did…"  
"NO... NO, THERE MUST BE A WAY TO SAVE HER..!" - Papyrus said as he took Noelle in his arms and he emitted a green aura - "FRISK, SHE CAN BE SAVED, I FEEL HER BREATHING!"  
"What..?"  
Frisk was surprised by what Papyrus said and, with a closer look, she noted that he was right. Noelle was indeed still breathing, even though her breathing was very faint.  
"This means her SOUL's still connected to her body, in a way…" - Frisk said with hope - "Papyrus, keep uh 'healing' her, it might keep her alive longer! We must take her to Gaster, he'll surely know what to do!"  
"YOU'RE RIGHT..! LET'S WASTE NO TIME THEN!" - Papyrus said as he stood up, holding the unconscious Noelle in his arms.  
The couple ran as fast as they could across the Monster Village in the direction of Gaster's house. They had the impression as if it took forever before they reached the destination. While Papyrus was still holding Noelle, Frisk rang the doorbell several times in a row. It didn't take long before Gaster opened the door.  
"Human?" - he asked - "You better have a good reason for disturb-"  
He noticed Papyrus with an unconscious Noelle in his arms, and his good eyesocket widened. Even though Gaster had no idea what happened, he could see that she was in a critical situation. He opened the door wider, allowing Papyrus and Frisk to enter his house. After locking the door, he said:  
"Follow me, I have medical equipement in the other room. What happened?"  
Frisk quickly explained the situation and noted that despite the SOUL being ripped out, Noelle was still breathing. Gaster had a thoughtful expression while he was listening and lying Noelle down on the bed. He started to connect her to a sort of life support.  
"SO... IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO SAVE HER, RIGHT?"  
"No, we still have a little time. I'm not sure how much, though." - Gaster replied, as he was simultanuously typing a message on his cellphone - "I'm asking Alphys to bring some more material. What we have here can only maintain her temporarily. But I have something that'll make sure she remains stable until Alphys arrives."  
Gaster then pulled out of a box a small flask containing a red liquid. As he processed to carefully pour the liquid within a syringe, he explained:  
"I'll inject a dose of determination in her body. It'll ensure she stays alive, even with her SOUL far away."  
"Where did you get that determination from?" - Frisk asked curiously.  
"I have that flask since the times I was studying SOULs. I was keeping it for a dark day, just in case." - Gaster answered.  
"BUT... HOW DOES IT COME NOELLE'S STILL ALIVE?" - Papyrus asked - "WHEN A SOUL'S TAKEN, THE PERSON..."  
"That's most likely due to her hybrid nature. It's true that humans die when their SOUL is taken. But you also know that a monster's SOUL is strongly connected to their body. That's why Noelle didn't die yet. A link still exists with the SOUL, but it won't remain forever. We'll thus have to 'freeze' Noelle's body." - Gaster explained - "That way, the link will be preserved and it'll give you the time you need to get the SOUL back."  
"THAT'S WHY YOU NEED MORE MATERIAL?" - Papyrus guessed, getting a nod from the scientist.  
At that moment, Sam's voice got heard from behind:  
"What's going on..?"  
Gaster, Papyrus and Frisk turned around to see that both Sam and Piper were standing at the doorframe. They held worried expressions on their faces.  
"Sam... Piper... It's complicated to explain…" - Gaster said, not sure where to start.  
The twins saw that Noelle was lying unconscious on the bed, which immediately alarmed them. They rushed to her side, under the sorry gaze of their father and Noelle's parents. The twins tried to call Noelle's name, but there was obviously no response. This worried the kids even more, so they looked up at Gaster, expecting him to explain.  
"Noelle..! Oh gosh, what happened..? Will she be okay..?" - Sam asked.  
"Dad...? Why is she like that..? Why doesn't she hear us..?" - Piper asked on her turn.  
"She doesn't hear you because... she's not really there." - Gaster replied - "Her... her SOUL had been ripped off, and so I'm trying to keep her alive until we can get it back."  
"What? Her SOUL's ripped?" - Piper exclaimed with a shocked expression.  
"How did that happen?! Who did this to her?!" - Sam asked, getting quickly filled with anger.  
"It was Flowey." - Frisk answered - "It happened when Noelle and I were outside the village. Flowey used me as a h-hostage, to force Noelle give her SOUL… I... I tried to free myself from his grasp, but… but I couldn't… I couldn't save her…"  
"No... no!" - Sam shouted - "Then what are we waiting for? Why don't you go after him?!"  
"WE FIRST MUST MAKE SURE NOELLE'S STABLE. ALPHYS SHALL BRING THINGS THAT'LL PERMIT TO… FREEZE NOELLE WHILE WE LOOK FOR FLOWEY AND GET NOELLE'S SOUL BACK." - Papyrus calmly explained.  
"What, so you'll put Noelle in a freezer?!" - Sam exclaimed.  
"It's not exactly a freezer." - Gaster replied - "And it's a necessary measure to keep her alive."  
"Alive... __alive__?! You call this 'alive'?!" - Sam started to pace in the room - "How long will she be like this before we get her SOUL back? Will your measures save her?!"  
"They will… normally."  
"__Normally__? So, you don't know for sure!"  
"Look Sam, I can't give you a certain answer, because I never got to study hybrid SOULs in my career!" - Gaster bursted, getting annoyed by his son's attitude - "Noelle's the only hybrid I ever got to know! But my assumptions __sould__ be correct! So, shall you stop your negative attitude?!"  
Because of the argument, nobody noticed at first that Piper was crying, her face burried in the sheets of the bed Noelle was lying on. Papyrus was the first to notice her sobbing, so he quickly sat next to her and put his hands over her shoulders, to provide her some comfort. Piper turned around, looked at Papyrus, then resumed her crying into his chest. Papyrus started to stroke the girl's hair, in an attempt to calm her a little. Frisk decided that it was enough for Gaster and Sam to fight, so she brought Piper's distress to their attention.  
"Stop that pointless argument! Piper's distressed, just like we all are, so your argument is the last thing she needs now."  
Sam and Gaster looked at Piper sobbing in Papyrus' arms, and at once they cooled down. Well, Sam was still raging inside, he had that desire to throw things around. He wanted to go kick Flowey's butt (even though he didn't have one) and take back the SOUL he stole. Gaster, being a more productive person, regained his calm and walked up to his daughter. Piper looked up at her father, though still not letting go of Papyrus, after what Gaster spoke:  
"Piper, I know what happened is a big shock. But I promise I'll do everything in my power to save your mother."  
"You... you really promise..?" - she asked, her voice a bit hoarse after her crying.  
Gaster just nodded in response, before resuming his former task. He checked Noelle's vitals after the injection of DT in her body. The data seemed promising.  
"She's in no death danger right now." - Gaster commented - "Now we wait for Alphys."  
Frisk let out a sigh and sat down next to her unconscious daughter and took her hand in hers. __"It's not fair… It was supposed to be me..!"__ \- she thought - __"But don't worry, my dear… I'll get your SOUL back, and all of this will feel like just a bad dream…"  
__It took about thirty minutes for Alphys to arrive with all the necessary material Gaster requested her to bring. The two scientists didn't waste time to work on the advanced life support that would put Noelle's organism "on pause", so to speak.  
"It's just terrible..." - Alphys said - "The p-poor girl... She d-doesn't deserve so many th-things happen to her at once…"  
"It's not a question of deserving it or not. Sadly, bad things just happen and that's it." - Gaster said with a distant tone - "Luckily for her, we're here to save her. This experience will be nothing but a bad memory."  
"Noelle has g-grown on y-you, d-didn't she..?" - Alphys commented quietly.  
"I don't see what you're talking about, Alphys." - Gaster replied after a short pause.  
"Y-you made an u-unfeeling statement at first. But then, you n-noted how she'll f-feel and recover… and that you're h-here for her…" - Alphys pointed out, despite her cheeks heating up - "I think it's a s-sign that you c-care..."  
Gaster didn't know what to say to this, so he kept focused on his task. After long minutes, they finally managed to fully stabilize Noelle. The effects were similar to a hypersleep cabin from space science-fiction stories. Nothing Gaster and Alphys couldn't do with the mix of science and magic. Once Gaster showed to Papyrus, Frisk and the twins that she was stable, Frisk decided it was time for her to go after Flowey and take back Noelle's SOUL. In the kitchen, she found a medium knife that she decided to take with her. Papyrus was a bit alarmed by this and asked:  
"YOU... YOU DON'T THINK TO ACTUALLY... KILL FLOWEY, DO YOU..?"  
Papyrus was being the good-natured guy he was. Even though Flowey was a true psychopath and his evilness could possibly equal only the one of a demon, Papyrus thought that killing him would be the wrong thing to do.  
"No, I won't drift to that path." - Frisk reassured him - "I however need a weapon to defend myself. I'll need it now more than ever, considering…"  
She didn't finish her phrase. She then put the knife in a pocket of her coat, then said with a sigh:  
"Wish me good luck, Papyrus."  
"W-WAIT, I'M GOING WITH YOU..!" - Papyrus exclaimed.  
"Papyrus, I'll be fine by myself. I've faced scarier things before."  
"B-BUT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO FACE BAD THINGS TOGETHER..! LIKE THEY SAY, FOR THE BETTER AND THE WORSE!"  
"I know... It's just that it's something I prefer to do alone." - Frisk said as she took Papyrus' hands in hers, looking straight in his eyesockets - "Flowey's __very__ dangerous. He can break all your bones in no time! If you come with me and he does something to you… I'll just never forgive myself. So please… let me go alone. I __promise__ I'll come back."  
Papyrus still looked reluctant about letting Frisk go alone.  
"I think you should stay here and comfort the kids." - Frisk suggested - "They're shocked, they're scared and they need faith. Gaster can't be with them, as he's still controlling Noelle's vitals. But you… with your positivity, you can make them feel better."  
"...ALRIGHT, FRISK. I'LL STAY HERE. BUT BEFORE YOU GO..."  
Papyrus pulled Frisk into a tight embrace. Frisk returned the embrace and then looked up at him.  
"I... I HAD A BAD FEELING WHEN I WENT LOOKING FOR YOU AND NOELLE. BUT FOR SOME ODD REASON, I... I THOUGHT SOMETHING WOULD HAPPEN TO __YOU__."  
Frisk closed her eyes as she felt pain pierce her heart. She remembered how heartbroken Papyrus was when he found her dead. The "resets" had the effect to create déjà vu feelings. Frisk stood on her tiptoes and planted a quick kiss on Papyrus' teeth.  
"I __will__ come back, Papyrus." - she promised again - "And we will get Noelle's SOUL back."  
Soon after that, Frisk left Gaster's house and walked in the direction of the Underground. She knew that if Flowey wanted to flee, he'd go the further he could, that is in the Ruins. Of course, Frisk had to go through her parents' house, where she had to explain them the whole situation. The two Boss Monsters were obviously shocked to hear what happened to Noelle.  
"Oh my... this is terrible. The poor babe..." - Toriel said as she wiped away a tear.  
"I'm shocked..." - Asgore said honestly - "But let's have faith. Even though Gaster has a questionable morality, he also has an unparalleled intellect. If there's anyone who can save Noelle, it's him."  
Toriel suggested to go with Frisk through the Underground, but Frisk declined her offer. Frisk thought that considering Flowey's identity, Toriel and Asgore's presence could potentially make things worse. After a short debate, Toriel gave up and allowed her daughter go alone. When Frisk was determined, it was impossible to make her change her mind. Her parents wished her good luck before Frisk left New Home. And so, the journey lasted for a while. Luckily, the Riverperson was still there, which made the journey considerably shorter. It was yet long enough for Frisk to think. She knew that going against Flowey was very risky, considering that she lost her "advantage" years ago. And on the top of that, Flowey had Noelle's SOUL. It probably made him more powerful. Frisk recalled her fight against his omega form, a memory that still sent chills down her spine. That battle was the most psychodelic thing she ever lived. This also made her wonder if with Noelle's SOUL, Flowey would use his SAVE and LOAD technique again. "I hope he won't…" - she thought fearfully. Her fear didn't shatter her determination though. She was ready to die one million times or more to save her daughter. __"But maybe, Noelle can resist Flowey's control? The six SOULs did rebel against him that other time…"__ \- Frisk pondered. It was with those thoughts that Frisk finally made it to the Ruins. As she crossed the big door and walked down the corridor to Home, Frisk mentally prepared herself. Once in the old Toriel's house, she took a moment to look around and let good memories go through her mind. It was where she's been taken care of for the first time in a while. It was where Frisk felt again that familiar warmth she forgot since the death of her real mother. It was where she tasted the infamous butterscotch-cinnamon pie for the first time! Despite everything, Frisk couldn't help but smile to herself. But then, she thought she heard something in one of the rooms. Quietly, Frisk approached the child's bedroom, carefully wrapping her hand around the knife. She waited outside the room for a long moment, gathering her courage. She inhaled and exhaled deeply several times, before quickly opening the door. In the dark she saw a movement, so Frisk raised the knife above her, ready to strike if the flower came any closer.  
"No, wait..!"  
Frisk froze. The voice was familiar but, it didn't sound like Flowey's. The person stepped out in the light coming from the corridor. As soon as Frisk saw him, she let out a shocked gasp and dropped the knife on the floor.  
"Asriel..?"

* * *

**A/N: So yeah, Frisk does remember her own death after Noelle reloaded her file. She doesn't think too much about it because she's more concerned about her daughter's life now and also because she was less affected by her death than by Papyrus' grief. (Yeah, that's what True Love is!)**  
**Papyrus knows about Frisk's (former) ability to SAVE and LOAD. The spouses have no secrets from each other. So, he was actually referring to this when he begged her to "come back". **

**But now that Asriel's alive, how shall the family deal with the situation..?**


	30. Chapter 30

**And here's the next chapter! I'll try to speed up, or at least keep more steady, the updating process. **

**Big thanks to Dragonsrule18 for reviewing so nicely on this story along as the one-shots! I'm glad you love them, and it gives me more motivation to keep updating. :)**

* * *

Papyrus took care to put Sam and Piper to sleep. It wasn't a easy task, because the twins were shaken by what happened to Noelle. The thought of their mother being put to hypersleep while her SOUL was ripped out and in the possession of Flowey, made them feel scared. Sam was also angry and kept repeating that he should've gone with Frisk after Flowey. But Papyrus tried his best to reason the troubled boy.  
"THIS IS WAY TOO DANGEROUS, SAM. FRISK HAS A WIDE EXPERIENCE IN BATTLING, WHILE YOU HAVE NONE." - Papyrus said - "FRISK DIDN'T EVEN WANT __ME__ TO COME WITH HER, SO SHE DEFINITELY WOULD HAVE REFUSED TO TAKE YOU WITH HER."  
"He's right, Sam." - Piper added with a quiet voice, as she hugged a pink bunny plushie to her chest - "Flowey would kill you… He already hurt Noelle very badly, I don't want something happen to you too."  
"Uh, you're right, Piper… But it's just that… urgh!" - Sam let out a frustrated grunt.  
Papyrus adjusted the covers over the kids after what he sat down on the edge of Piper's bed and tried to reassure them, taking his confident tone.  
"YOU SHOULD BE POSITIVE… I'M SURE THAT IN THE END, EVERYTHING'S GOING TO BE ALRIGHT AND NOELLE WILL WAKE UP. YOU JUST HAVE TO BELIEVE."  
"Believing doesn't make things true…" - Sam remarked.  
"WELL, I THINK THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT EVENTUALLY MAKES THINGS TRUE." - Papyrus replied with a smile.  
After a moment, Piper asked:  
"Are you scared right now, Papyrus?"  
"I... I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AM NOT SCARED OF ANYTHING... EXCEPT WHEN IT COMES TO MY FAMILY." - Papyrus admitted as he looked down, then he looked back at the kids - "YES, I'M SCARED FOR BOTH NOELLE AND FRISK NOW. B-BUT I DON'T LET THIS GET TO ME..! I STAY STRONG FOR THEM AND FOR YOU."  
"It's nice to hear…" - Piper smiled at him, before closing her eyes - "If you belive, then I'll believe too."  
"THAT'S THE BEST THING TO DO RIGHT NOW, PIPER." - Papyrus said with a nod.  
"I don't know… I'm afraid that our faith and efforts may not be enough." - Sam said with a sad voice.  
"FAITH ISN'T EASY... AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHY IT'S POWERFUL."  
Sam thought about it for a second. He guessed that Papyrus' words made sense. The boy then finally allowed himself to close his eyes and exhaled slowly to ease some of the tension in his body. Papyrus got a small smile and then went to plant a kiss on the children's foreheads. When he left their bedroom, he thought to himself: __"FRISK... I HOPE YOU'RE ALRIGHT OUT THERE… PLEASE BE ALRIGHT."  
__  
Meantime at Home, Frisk was staring at Asriel with a shocked look. He was back. He looked almost like his "God of Hyperdeath" form, minus the evil eyes. Asriel was thus a grown up young goat monster. Last time Frisk has seen him, Asriel was a thirteen years old boy. But now, he seemed to be around her age.  
"Asriel… You're back… How… How can it be..?" - Frisk finally managed to ask.  
"I... I'm not sure, but I think it's because your daughter's half-monster… and so, her SOUL's different…" - Asriel answered, then lowered his head in remorse - "Argh, I should __never__ have done this…! This was a twisted and horrid idea… very Flowey-like, actually. I am so very sorry, Frisk. I can apologize a hundred of times, but it won't change that I killed your daughter."  
Asriel then sat down on his old bed and put his face between his hands. A tear slid down his face and he started to shake a little. He hated himself, he was a murderer. He had been one before, but now he knew he went too far. Frisk then sat down next to him and put her hand on his arm. Asriel flinched a little and he didn't dare to look Frisk in the eyes.  
"It wasn't really you who did it…" - the young woman started - "And Noelle isn't dead."  
"She isn't…?" - Asriel asked with a frown, turning his head to Frisk - "But it's impossible. I ripped out her SOUL."  
"Noelle's hanging between life and death. But after you left with her SOUL, she was still breathing. There's no mistake she's alive. Her SOUL is apparently strong enough to be still connected to her body." - Frisk explained.  
"This means... it's not too late after all." - Asriel said to himself.  
"...It isn't." - Frisk confirmed, then let out a sad sigh - "Asriel, you know why I came here, right…?"  
"You came in hope to get Noelle's SOUL back."  
"I... I really hate to ask you this… I __don't want__ to ask you this… but…"  
Frisk didn't dare to finish. There was no way she could say it so it would sound right. She swore to herself she'd fight for her daughter's life until the end, but at the same time Asriel was a friend, a brother. Frisk couldn't just ask him to give up on his life. Asriel guessed her thoughts, so he gave her a sad and sorry smile.  
"It's alright, Frisk… I... I'm supposed to be dead anyway, right..?"  
"Asriel..."  
"I'll be fine. Really." - the goat monster forced his smile through appearing tears - "Your daughter is a hero, she deserves her life more than I deserve mine. Noelle has so many things to live yet… My only regret now is that I could never properly know her…"  
"No... __No!__" - Frisk shook her head and held Asriel's hand tightly in hers - "There... there must be another way. Years ago, you… no, __Flowey__, told me that in this world, it's kill or be killed. But we both figured out there was a __third way__ \- mercy."  
"I'm glad to see you haven't changed. But there's nothing that can save us both." - Asriel looked down - "Since I have not much of a life left, let me at least do one last right thing. I want to give Noelle her SOUL back."  
Frisk closed her eyes and slowly nodded, fighting back her tears. She thought it wasn't fair that Asriel came back to life only to be gone again… for the second time. The young prince never deserved to die in the first place. Why was fate so cruel to him? It was painful for Frisk to see him go away again. And on the other hand… Frisk wanted her daughter to live. Noelle was one of her reasons to live, she was what was worth to fight for. Frisk already lost her once, she refused to lose her again and definitely.  
Asriel inhaled deeply and exhaled longly. He didn't exactly feel ready. Yet, who in his place would be ready? But it was the right thing to do. He had the courage to sacrifice himself once, he would do that again. Asriel was about to release the SOUL that was within his body, but then… his eyes widened a bit as a thought crossed his mind. Frisk noticed the change of his facial expression.  
"What's the matter, Asriel?" - she asked him.  
"Flowey will never stop." - Asriel said with a gloomy, yet subtly scared tone - "He won't learn anything from today's experience. After I release Noelle's SOUL and become him again, I might keep my distances with the world at first, but I'll start plotting quickly enough. Just like it happened the first time."  
"Come with me." - Frisk said almost immediately.  
"W-what..?"  
"Come with me, Asriel. Keep Noelle's SOUL for the time being. We can try to find a solution meanwhile. Maybe there's a way to somehow maintain this form or make you feel things when you're Flowey… a solution must exist. Gaster might find one."  
"No, no, we can't…!" - Asriel protested, alarmed - "I... I can't come with you! We'd have to go through our parents' house and… I just can't face them. Not after everything that I've done…"  
"Look, I get that you're feeling bad about your actions, but facing them is unavoidable. Like you said, Flowey won't let Noelle alone. He'll come back and might hurt other people from our family. We must do our best to prevent this." - Frisk said seriously.  
"You can't force me to see them! You respected my will last time..!"  
"__This__ time, however, it's not just about __you__, Asriel." - Frisk replied, still sounding serious - "It's about Noelle, my daughter and our parents' granddaughter. They deserve to know the truth. Besides, you said yourself you want to do things right. And in our situation, doing things right implies to go in the outside world and face your family."  
Asriel lowered his head, then clenched his fists on his robes and he started to shake.  
"I can't... I can't... Not after I..."  
Frisk sighed. She surely felt sorry for him, but she couldn't allow him to run away from his problems this time. She picked her cellphone from her pocket and Asriel's eyes widened as soon as he saw it.  
"Are you calling Mom and Dad? No, don't do that!"  
"Keep cool, it's not them I want to call." - Frisk said with a sigh - "I'm calling my husband."

While Frisk and Asriel were having their conversation in the Ruins, Papyrus got one with Gaster. After the kids fell asleep, Papyrus went to the room where his unconscious daughter was. Gaster was still there, making sure he and Alphys had stabilized her right. He'd have to watch carefully Noelle's vitals the next few hours, probably the whole night. When Papyrus entered the room, Gaster looked up at him, aknowledging his presence, but didn't say anything. Papyrus sat at the edge of the bed and then gently stroke Noelle's face. He frowned a little, because even through his glove, he could sense there was no warmth in his daughter. This made him even sadder. Gaster watched the little scene and was amazed (but not surprised) how much Papyrus cared for his child. He could litterally read the pain, sadness and love on Papyrus' face. The latter's eyesockets then glowed purple.  
"She __will__ live, Papyrus." - Gaster said.  
Papyrus looked up at Gaster, who spoke again.  
"I won't let her die. I will make sure she lives and returns among us."  
"YOU... YOU REALLY MEAN IT?" - Papyrus asked.  
"...I do. I know it has always been… erm, 'complicated' between us all, but I'm not totally indifferent to the lives of your family." - Gaster replied, his tone difficult to read.  
But despite Gaster's almost casual way to say it, Papyrus saw more in those words and his eyes rounded in wonder. He could see at that moment that he'd been right all along about Gater; that there was some good in him. Papyrus just got another proof that Gaster was a better person than what he let on. He's been right to believe in his creator after all... just like Noelle had been right to give him a second chance.  
"YOU KNOW... NOELLE WAS VERY UPSET THAT SHE ARGUED WITH YOU." - Papyrus said - "AND WHATEVER SHE SAID TO YOU EARLIER, SHE DIDN'T REALLY MEAN IT."  
"Good to know, I suppose." - Gaster replied with a sigh.  
He just wasn't sure what to say in this situation. Gaster already hated to admit that Noelle's words affected him more than it should have. And now, when Papyrus told him that Noelle didn't really mean it, had a strange effect. It was almost as though the cracks on his SOUL received a treat. But at the same time… Gaster knew there was truth in Noelle's words. She was right, when she said that he didn't deserve Sam and Piper. Noelle was a much better person than he was. Thus, even though Noelle said it just out of anger or frustration, this didn't make the words less true.  
"UH... DID I SAY SOMETHING WRONG..?" - Papyrus asked with light anxiety.  
Gaster looked at Papyrus and saw that his expression was similar to the one he used to have back when he was his test subject. Like when he feared punishement or any negative response from him. Gaster sighed and replied:  
"No... you didn't. I'm just not sure what to make of it. Because regardless of Noelle's intentions, what she said is true."  
"OH... BUT EVEN IF IT IS, NOELLE STILL DECIDED TO FORGIVE YOU AND HELP YOU THROUGH HARD TIMES. THIS MEANS SHE BELIEVES IN YOUR BEST SIDE. THIS IS WHAT TRULY MATTERS."  
Gaster didn't say anything for a moment, as he processed what Papyrus said. He was right; except for the argument that happened in the evening, Noelle had always been only well-meaning and helpful towards him. The thought of it made Gaster want to ask Papyrus a question that had been bothering him for years now.  
"Papyrus, I... um, there's something I've been curious to know for a while…" - Gaster started awkwardly, and Papyrus waited patiently for him to finish the question - "Before the De-Code, you've sent me a photo… of young Noelle. Why…?"  
"I... I DON'T KNOW. I JUST THOUGHT THAT MAYBE... JUST MAYBE, YOU'D BE… INTERESTED TO KNOW..?"  
The anwser was pretty simple, yet it said a lot. Gaster got a shadown of a smile on his face, before replying:  
"Your assumption... wasn't wrong."  
Papyrus' eyes shone and he smiled. At that moment, his cellphone rang and he felt relief to see it was from Frisk. He answered the call, exclaiming:  
"FRISK, THANK GOODNESS YOU'RE OKAY! SO, WHERE ARE YOU RIGHT NOW?"  
A silence followed, as Frisk was speaking to him on the other end of the line. Papyrus then got a surprised expression oh his face, before asking:  
"THE PRINCE ASRIEL IS ALIVE..?"  
Gaster's eyes widened in shock when he heard those words. He silently instructed Papyrus to put the conversation on loud speaker. Papyrus did as asked, and thus the two skeletons could hear what Frisk had to say.  
"Y-yes, I know, it sounds all crazy…! Flowey always had Asriel's memories, being filled with his dust, but he… he couldn't really be himself unless absorbing enough SOULs… Anyway, now he absorbed Noelle's SOUL and it was enough to make him regain his true form! I'm not sure how it happened, but it did..!"  
"I know how." - Gaster said - "It's because Noelle's SOUL is hybrid and it contains magic, and since monsters keep themselves together thanks to magic, her magic permitted Asriel to… reform himself from his dust."  
Since Frisk couldn't understand Gaster, Papyrus took care to translate her what he said, being able to understand wingdings.  
"I see... But that's not the problem now. I was wondering if there's a way to save both him and Noelle." - Frisk said - "At first, Asriel was willing to give Noelle's SOUL back, but then he said that he'd come back hurt us once he becomes Flowey again. So… is there any way to maintain Asriel in his current form?"  
Papyrus looked up expectingly at Gaster, who got a thoughtful look. He was impressed by the human's will to save the young prince along with her own daughter, but he also remarked how challenging this puzzle was. The current state of science made clear there was no way to artificially create a monster SOUL. Alphys herself had explored all the possibilities human SOULs had to offer in the form of determination. A research that had castastrophic results. But now… with a hybrid SOUL, new possibilities could be exploited.  
"There __maybe__ is a way. But that's a big maybe." - Gaster said - "The only way to find out is to study more deeply the properties of Noelle's SOUL. It's not something that can be esily done considering I'm prone to restrictions. And besides… I don't think any of you want me to even touch Noelle's SOUL…"  
The doctor's answer created a pensive atmosphere. Papyrus was the first to answer.  
"BUT IF YOU DO SCIENCE TO SAVE PEOPLE AND NOT HURT THEM, I THINK I CAN ALLOW YOU TO… SEE NOELLE'S SOUL. AS LONG AS YOU DON'T HURT HER, OF COURSE."  
"I'm of the same opinion." - Frisk said - "As long as you don't go too far, you can study the SOUL. I just want my daughter back, without anyone getting hurt."  
"SANS WON'T LIKE THIS THOUGH... AND HE'LL SURELY WON'T LET YOU HEAR THE END OF IT…" - Papyrus then remarked - "BUT I'M SURE THAT WHEN HE SEES NOELLE TO BE OKAY, HE'LL CALM DOWN AND CHANGE HIS ATTITUDE!"  
"I'm not so sure of that... Sans tends to give more importance to bad actions than the good ones." - Gaster said - "But it's not Sans' consent that truly matters. It's Asriel's and… Noelle's. We'll discuss this later. For now, Asriel should just return home."  
Papyrus translated the statement for Frisk, after what the woman exposed the problem.  
"The problem is that Asriel doesn't want to follow me. He's so ashamed of his past actions that he refuses to ever see his parents again. He simply refuses to leave the Ruins. How can I convince him to come with me..?" - Frisk asked.  
"HMM... YOU SAY HE'S ASHAMED OF HIS ACTIONS. SO YOU JUST HAVE TO TELL HIM HIS MISTAKE CAN MAYBE BE FIXED. THAT MAYBE HE WON'T HAVE TO EVER MAKE BAD THINGS ANYMORE, IF HE JUST GIVES IT A CHANCE." - Papyrus suggested.  
"...Alright, I'll do that. Don't worry, Papyrus. I have no intention to return without him. I __will__ convince him, no matter what he says. And we __will__ save our daughter." - Frisk said, sounding determined.  
"I'M GLAD YOU HAVE FAITH. I HAVE FAITH TOO. I'LL BE WAITING FOR YOU, FRISK. AND NO MATTER WHAT HAPPNES, PLEASE BE CAREFUL." - Papyrus pleaded, then cut the loud speaker and said in a quieter tone - "I LOVE YOU."  
"I love you too, Papyrus." - Frisk replied, her smile heard in her tone, before hanging up.  
Papyrus put the cellphone in his pocket, then saw Gaster give him a weird look, which embarrassed him a little. Gaster then asked, even though it shounded more like a statement:  
"You and the hum-... __Frisk__ really care a lot for each other, don't you?"  
"WHY, YES." - Papyrus replied with a light blush - "THAT'S WHY WE GOT MARRIED AFTER ALL..."  
Gaster grinned a bit at the obvious statement. Then, looking down at his computer screen, he said:  
"I hope Frisk gave you what you needed."  
"SHE DID." - Papyrus confirmed, then looked down at Noelle and added with a little smile - "...AND SHE GAVE ME EVEN MORE."  
The former Royal Scientist just nodded in response, satisfied by the answer.

In the Ruins, after Frisk hang up her phone, she returned to Asriel's room. She saw that the goat monster looked very troubled. He was sitting on his bed, his hands clutching his forehead and he was shuddering. This worried Frisk, so she asked:  
"Asriel? Are you hurt...?"  
"Gnhh... My head... It's invaded by... a foreign voice..." - Asriel answered - "It's Noelle's voice..! She… argh, she's scared, she's angry and me… and she's sad…"  
"You mean, you... you can hear Noelle talking to you..?" - Frisk asked with a shocked expression.  
Asriel only nodded, not finding the strength to speak.  
__"You murderous monster! You killed me!"__  
"N-no... I didn't want to... I'm sorry..." - Asriel said.  
__"Liar! You've craved for my SOUL since my birth!"__ \- Noelle's voice reasoned in his head again - __"You took away my life! You took away everything from me! And I'm doomed to live in your body forever!"__  
"Please... stop." - Asriel begged as a tear fell from his eyes - "...I didn't want it to happen… I didn't… I..."  
"Asriel, what is she saying..?" - Frisk asked as she sat next to him.  
"She's mad at me for k-killing her..." - Asriel answered.  
"Asriel... Noelle..." - Frisk put her hand over the prince's chest - "Noelle, if you're really in here, please hear me… I'm sorry I couldn't protect you… and I'm sorry you had to 'load' because of me. But please try to calm down. I... I understand your anger, but Asriel has suffered enough. He's not really Flowey, he would never have done this to you. And… you're not really dead, Noelle. Your body's safe at Gaster's house. We can still save you… maybe even you both."  
Frisk then looked in Asriel's eyes, her hand never leaving his chest (as if still holding her daughter), and pursued:  
"I was speaking with Gaster. He said that there's maybe a way to keep you alive in this form. Gaster needs to understand better the properties of Noelle's SOUL to know for sure. But this means you'll have to come to the Surface with me."  
"I have no choice but to see my parents… and everyone again, right?" - Asriel said, sounding defeated.  
"You don't want to see them because of your mistakes. But here you have a chance to fix some of them." - Frisk said, before adressing to her daughter - "And Noelle… I know you're scared, but I promise that wether or not we find a way to keep Asriel alive, we'll put you back in your body."  
__"Frisk... I'm very scared… What if Gaster hurts me?"__ \- Noelle spoke in Asriel's head.  
"She's afraid that Gaster might hurt her." - Asriel transmitted her thoughts to Frisk.  
"You don't need to be afraid, my darling. Gaster and I already discussed the matter, and he will not hurt you. Your father and I will be there to make sure he won't. Gaster only needs __your__ consent - yours and Asriel's."  
A pause followed. Frisk looked at Asriel expectingly, waiting for his answer. Then, Asriel made his decision, looking straight into his sister's eyes.  
"Alright, I shall come with you. I'm done running away from my problems. I must face them and the consequences of my actions." - he said with resolution.  
__"All right, I guess I can trust Gaster... I didn't give him a second chance for nothing, after all."__  
"Noelle wants the same thing." - Asriel said.  
"I'm glad you both made the right choice." - Frisk replied with a smile.  
Frisk and Asriel then stood from the bed and walked out of the old house within a minute. They walked silently long the corridor until they made it to the dark room before the exit from the Ruins. Frisk was about to exit, but she noticed that Asriel didn't move. He was standing at the spot beneath the hole on the ceiling. The dark starry sky could be seen from there. But Asriel was staring on the ground. Frisk approached him and asked what was wrong.  
"This is where we met for the second time… This is the exact spot where I was when I tried to tempt you with my 'kill or be killed' philosophy…" - Asriel said with a distant tone - "Where I could've pulled you down on that evil path…"  
"But you didn't." - Frisk took gently the goat's furry hand in hers - "Flowey's your past. Try to think about the future."  
"Ha... It's not certain I have one..." - the prince let out a sad chuckle.  
"Well, let's go and find out together?"  
Asriel managed a small smile and nodded. After that, the two young adults finally exited the Ruins. Whatever came next, they were ready to face it. They'd do it for Noelle and for the family in general. Asriel and Frisk decided to stay determined and have hope. Because hope was the most powerful thing in this world.

* * *

**A/N: So, there's a lot about believing and third ways... a very OUAT-like chapter! :)**  
**Now, is there hope for Noelle and Asriel? Can a way be found? Or will the family be forced to make the difficult choice? **  
**Toriel and Asgore still have to meet their son... **

**And yay, Gaster and Papyrus could finally have a conversation together! :D I've been very excited for the moment when Gaster would ask Papyrus about the photo. **  
**In case you forgot, he's referring to the photo mentioned in the 3rd chapter; a photo of a three years old Noelle and with the words "YOUR GRANDDAUGHTER" written in the back.**

**Oh, and the reason why Noelle started to manifest herself within Asriel later, it's because there was sort of a... "adjusting time"? After Noelle (or rather her SOUL) was absorbed, she wasn't exactly conscious for a while until she came out from her state of slumber and confusion (while Frisk was talking in the phone).**


	31. Chapter 31

**Sorry it took me a bit long to update. I've been very busy with exams the past two weeks. But worry not, I'm resuming updating the story. Enjoy!**

* * *

It was late night when Frisk and Asriel made it to New Home. Since seeing their son resurrected would be a shock for Asgore and Toriel, Frisk instructed Asriel to wait outside until she tells him to enter, so she could prepare their parents. Asriel knew Frisk was right, so he did as she asked without a fuss. As Frisk entered the living room, Asgore and Toriel stood from their armchairs with looks that reflected curiousity, worry and expectation.  
"So...? How did it go?" - Toriel asked - "Did you find the flower?"  
"Yes, I... found where he was hiding. And Noelle's SOUL no longer out of our reach, but um…" - Frisk then hesitated, before instructing - "You two should sit down… or maybe even lie down, actually."  
"What do you mean? What's going on?" - Asgore asked, arching an eyebrow.  
"Uh… Just, sit down okay? It's very delicate, you might have a shock…" - Frisk said a bit awkwardly.  
Toriel and Asgore looked at each other before sitting back down on their armchairs. Frisk then turned her head and called:  
"Alrigh, I think you can come in."  
Shortly after Frisk called him, Asriel stepped from behind the door, revealing himself to his parents. Just like expected, the parents' eyes widened in shock and they seemed to be frozen. If they didn't have the white furr, the fact their faces paled would've been obvious. After a moment, the two spouses slowly stood up and Toriel even dared to step towards her son.  
"A-Asri… el…?" - she breathed out shakily.  
"Y-yes, Mom. It's really me." - Asriel replied, feeling moved to properly see his parents for the first time in many years.  
Then, Toriel felt that her head was spinning, and before she could fall unconscious, Asgore quickly caught her and helped her to maintain her balance. She nodded at him gratefully, before looking back at her son.  
"But how is it possible..? You died years ago…" - Asgore asked.  
"It's a... very long story. And not a very pleasant one." - Asriel remarked, lowering her head slowly - "And after I tell it, you'll probably… despise me."  
"What are you talking about?" - Toriel asked curiously.  
And so, Asriel told them everything. He told them how he got brought back to life with the injection of DT in a golden flower. He explained the impact this "resurrection" had on him and his feelings. He told them about the power to rewrite the timeline he discovered and how he abused of it. Asriel told them about the maniac he let himself become. Frisk was silent during the most part, just confirming some things or adding small details from time to time. Asriel finished his story by telling how he had been craving for Noelle's SOUL since he heard about her birth and how he slyly forced her to surrender it to him. When he was done, he could see the shocked and heartbroken expressions on his parents' faces. Asgore was looking down, his golden hair covering the upper part of his face, and Toriel had tears flowing from her eyes like rivers. Asriel felt his shame and remorse intensify.  
"Mom, Dad… I understand perfectly if you don't want me to be part of your lives anymore." - he said with a tone of guilt - "But I came here because I wan to do things right. I want to fix at least one of the many mistakes I made during this cursed life. So, I hope you'll allow me to stay around for the time I can do just that."  
"Asriel… It's true that we're both… very disappointed." - Asgore started - "But at the same time… we can't possibly know what you've been going through. And from what I understand, you were not exactly yourself, were you? Yes, what you did is terrible. It goes beyond what words can describe. But you're our son and our love for you is stronger than any of your deeds."  
"And we'd __never__ want you out of our lives!" - Toriel added - "After you… died, we missed you so much. Even now, we often think about you. Despite everything you've done, we're so happy to see you again."  
Asriel felt moved by his parents words, so he sobbed and put his face between his paws, letting tears fall. Frisk gently put her hand over his shoulder in a comforting way. Their parents then pulled Asriel in a tight hug, and they all cried together.  
"After all these years… my son's back…" - Toriel half-whispered - "Now that you're here, I'm __not__ losing you again, Asriel..!"  
This phrase made Frisk look down in sadness and anxiety. She couldn't help but wonder what would happen if they didn't find a way to keep Asriel in his current form without Noelle's SOUL inside. What choice would they all make? That's why Frisk shook her head and preferred to have positive thoughts. __"Gaster will find a way."__ \- she told herslef - __"...He has to."__

In the morning, as Sam woke up he immediately noticed that the sun was already high up. He looked at the clock and saw that it was quarter to ten. This alarmed him a little, since it meant he and his sister missed the start of the school day! He rushed to his sister and shook her awake.  
"Piper, wake up!"  
"Hmm…? What's wrong, Sam?" - Piper asked as she looked up at him.  
"It's already late! Dad didn't wake us up for school!" - Sam explained.  
"W-what..? Oh no..!" - Piper got alarmed on her turn, quickly standing from her bed.  
The twins walked down the stairs to look for their father. They found him sitting at the kitchen table with a mug of coffee in his hand. He gave his kids a tired look and said:  
"Good morning… Why do you look so alarmed?"  
"Dad, you realize we missed school, don't you?" - Sam asked on his turn.  
"I know. I thought you could miss school today." - Gaster replied before taking a sip of his coffee.  
"But you don't like to make us miss school…" - Piper remarked - "Not unless we're sick."  
"True, but you've been all shaken last night. So, decided to let you rest today." - Gaster explained.  
It was true, Sam and Piper have been very shaken by what happened to Noelle. As a result, the kids went to sleep two hours later than usual. And Gaster himself barely slept that night, since he had been regularily checking Noelle's vitals. It was near 5 am when Gaster got positive that Noelle's state wouldn't degrade and allowed himself to have some sleep. Those factors justified well the decision to make the kids miss school, however Sam quickly got suspicious that there was another reason behind it. He was way too used by his father's secrecy. So, the boy asked with a suspecting look:  
"Did anything else happen tonight? Tell me Noelle's not…"  
"No, no, she's stable." - Gaster hurried to reassure his son - "And she'll remain that way until we can put her SOUL back in her chest."  
"So... did Frisk get the SOUL back or not?" - Piper asked.  
"She did, but… it turns out that after Flowey absorbed Noelle's SOUL, he transformed back into Asriel." - Gaster answered - "And so, we're keeping them 'fused' for now, until we can figure out how to keep Asriel in his form."  
"You're not serious, are you?" - Sam asked with a tone that indicated he was about to get pissed off - "You guys really decided to leave Noelle in the coma to save the life of a __murderer__?"  
"Sam, don't speak like that." - Piper tried to calm him - "It's probably Asriel's best chance."  
"But I don't care! The guy's supposed to be dead! He tried to kill our mother, Piper!" - Sam raised his voice.  
"It wasn't really him, it was Flowey..!" - Piper reminded him, but her brother wasn't really listening.  
"I swear that if I see him, I'll kill him!"  
"You don't mean it, Sam..." - Gaster tried to calm his son down.  
"You have no idea how I feel! So you can't know if I mean it or not..!"  
Gaster and Piper noticed that Sam's eyes teared up. Piper tried to provide him some comfort by hugging him, but the boy wasn't feeling any better. Sam then sat down on a chair and spoke in between rising sobs:  
"I... I want him to be dead..! I want my mother back…! We just became a family… and that vicious weed took her away! It's not fair… It's not fair..! Asriel has no right to take away Noelle's life… He has no right to take __her__ away __from us__!"  
Piper got her own tears falling down her cheeks after she unsuccessfully attempted to sniff them away. So, she was just wiping them away with her sleeves, while she listened her brother speak up his feelings. After a moment, Gaster took from a cabinet pills and handed it to his son, along with a glass of water.  
"W-what's this…?" - Sam asked.  
"Just some valerian." - Gaster replied - "Take one pill, it'll calm your nerves. You should take one too, Piper."  
"I'll pass…" - Sam mumbled.  
"I insist, Sam. Take a pill and then go have some more rest." - Gaster requested him calmly.  
The two kids exchanged a look before Sam swallowed a pill. Piper then did the same.  
"Good." - Gaster said with a small nod - "Alright, go rest in your room. I'll make you something to eat meantime."  
"I'm not really hungry, though…" - Piper remarked quietly.  
"I understand, but you still must eat at least just a little." - Gaster replied - "The stress drains energy and you need some."  
"I guess you're right…" - Piper said with a small sigh.  
"Uh… can we perhaps, see Noelle..?" - Sam asked.  
"You shouldn't in your state." - Gaster answered - "Maybe later, but now… you must clear your minds."  
Gaster thought that it wasn't the best idea to let the children see their lifeless mother while the two obviously still were in an agitated emotional state. They had to calm down first. Of course, with the knowledge that Noelle was hanging between life and death, they would never really be okay, but they had to feel better at least to some extent. __"I hope they'll have calmed down by the time Asriel arrives in the afternoon…"__ \- Gaster then thought in worry.

Meanwhile in New Home, Asriel was sleeping in his room. But his sleep wasn't exactly peaceful, because he was having a strange dream.

He quickly noticed that it was the human world, but how could he dream about it if he barely knew it? Then, a scene caught his eye and so Asriel walked a bit closer to investigate. He saw two teenage boys bully a girl. She seemed to be around twelve years old. A detail caused Asriel's eyes round - the girl had green eyes.  
"Must be Noelle when she was younger…" - the goat prince whispered to himself.  
He saw how the two older boys made Noelle back up until she met a wall, their taller figures towering her. She was obviously intimidated. She was slightly shaking in fear.  
"We got bad grades because of you!" - one of the boys said.  
"It's... it's n-not because of me..!" - Noelle protested shakily.  
"It is. Had you let us copy your homework, this wouldn't have happened!" - the second boy said.  
"But you refused. So, we'll teach you a lesson about solidarity!" - the first one pursued - "And what happens when you don't help your mates!"  
And then, the two then made Noelle trip and when she tried to run away from them, they hit her a couple of times. Noelle tried to struggle, but the boys were two against her alone and they were physically stronger. They didn't let her go and at some point, they pushed her against a grating, after what Noelle fell on the ground as her face and hands got scratches. Noelle let out a sob of pain, and a boy then threw her bag in her direction. Some of the books fell out on the wet ground. The bullies then said something to her, but she wasn't hearing them. After a while, the two walked away and as their steps faded, Noelle spoke with a voice full of despair:  
"Please… help… Mom… Dad… help me… __anyone…__"  
But nobody came. Noelle was lying there alone. It then started raining. As the drops of water were falling on her, Noelle started to cry. What was she expecting? Of course her parents wouldn't come. She's been alone for years, for as long as she remembered actually, so why would they show up now? It was pointless to call for them in moments of despair, because they never cared. Her parents were not coming. It was as simple as that. __"I was a fool to ever believe they'll come for me someday…"__ \- she thought.  
"Noelle!"  
The girl turned her head in the direction of the voice with a frown. Who was there? For some reason, she thought it wasn't right that someone was there. She saw a figure walk up to her and as he approached, Noelle could see him more clearly. And as she did, she immediately recognized him.  
"Asriel..."  
Everything in her mind was put on its places and the scenary around her dissipated into nothingness. Noelle herself got her normal appearance back. She stood up and remarked with an unpleased tone:  
"You're being rude to invade my inner world like that!"  
"I did you a favor - your world doesn't look like a pretty place." - Asriel replied as he crossed his arms.  
"I don't think I wanted your opinion. And my world is my world." - Noelle looked away - "But it was probably just the worst part of it."  
"Really? Why?" - Asriel asked curiously - "What's so particular in this memory?"  
"I'm not telling __you__." - Noelle said as she glared at him - "It's because of you that I'm stuck in your body, so you could at least mind your own business and stay away from me!"

As she yelled the last part, Asriel woke up in his room. He put his head between his hands and sighed. After a moment, he stood up from his bed, muttering:  
"I didn't watch your dream on purpose, you know. Our minds are interwinded now."  
__"____Thanks to who?____"__ \- Noelle asked with a hint of anger.  
"Look, I already told you I'm sorry!" - Asriel yelled - "When I was Flowey, I wasn't exactly myself, if you failed to notice!"  
"Asriel, are you okay?"  
Asriel turned his head to see that his mother was standing at the doorframe with a worried look. Asriel let out a long sigh and looked down, embarrassed that Toriel witnessed his outburst. Plus, the fact that from the outside it looked like he was talking to himself was awkward.  
"Yes, I'm fine." - he finally answered - "Sorry you had to see this, Mom."  
"It's alright, my child." - Toriel replied as she walked to him - "Now, come to the kitchen. You must be hungry? I made you the snail pie you love so much."  
"Heh, sounds nice... Thanks, Mom." - Asriel managed a little smile.  
As the mother and son walked to the kitchen, Noelle's voice reasoned inside Asriel's head, which made him flinch in discomfort.  
__"____A ___**_snail_**___ pie? Can you actually ___**_eat_**___ that?____"__  
"Yes, and it's very tasty." - Asriel muttered quietly in response.  
"What was that, Asriel?" - Toriel asked as she proceeded to cut a slice for him.  
"It was nothing!" - Asriel answered quickly, then thought to himself - __"Maybe I could just think when I respond..?" __  
__"____Sounds like a good plan. 'Cause otherwise, you look like a guy with a double personality disorder.____"__  
__"Gnn... Shut up..! **You** make me look that way!"  
"____Why me? I'm not the one to talk alone in my room.____"__ \- Noelle's voice remarked.  
Asriel wanted to protest, but thanksfully the argument was cut short as Toriel handed him a plate with a slice of snail pie. At the sight of the green pie, Asriel's eyes shone and his stomach growled in anticipation. He hadn't eaten this in years! Noelle however, at the sight of the slice full of snails, was far to be as enthousiastic.  
__"____I wish I was actually dead now.____"__  
__"Come on, have you ever tasted it, anyway?"__ \- Asriel mentally retorted with annoyance - _"Besides, it's not you who's eating, but me!"_  
Asriel ate his first bite, and smiled widely. He was surely enjoying it a lot. The prince kept eating while Noelle, who had to watch the scene from the first person point of view, couldn't help but occasionally whine. She couldn't conceal how disgusted she was. Hating snails herself, Noelle really couldn't understand how Toriel and Asriel could ever enjoy this. Asriel was about to make another bite, but then a sensation of sickness stopped him. This puzzled him a bit. He was about to eat anyway, but the sensation intensified and Asriel understood that he wouldn't be able to finish his meal. With a sigh, he put the fork down and said:  
"I... I think I'm done for now."  
"You're not finishing it?" - Toriel asked curiously - "Yet, you love that pie so much that you'd never leave any crumbles on the plate!"  
"I do love it, Mom. But it seems like Noelle doesn't... and her disgust's reflecting on my taste."  
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. But when you and Noelle unfuse, you'll be enjoying everything you love without any limits, Asriel." - Toriel reassured her son.  
__"____She's too positive about it...____"__ \- Noelle remarked.  
__"What are you implying?"__ \- Asriel mentally asked.  
But he didn't get an answer. Toriel then put her hand over her son's shoulder, with a serious expression on her face. Asriel gave her a questioning look, after what Toriel spoke up.  
"When your father returns from the city, we'll all go to Gaster's home. If you're uncomfortable about it, you can still change your mind."  
"No, it's alright. I can't keep Noelle inside me forever." - Asriel replied.  
__"____You surely can't.____"__  
Asriel ignored the remark and focused on his conversation with Toriel.  
"I mean, I understand if you're scared." - she clarified.  
"In fact, not really… It won't be the worst thing to happen to me. Being that cruel flower… I don't think there's anything that could match this experience. I'm nervous to face Noelle's children though. They must hate me for what I did." - Asriel confessed.  
"They'll forgive, I'm sure of that. They did forgive Gaster, after all. So they surely will forgive you too, once they get to know you." - Toriel said as she gently squeezed on Asriel's shoulder.  
"Yeah, let's hope so..." - Asriel gave her a faint smile.  
After that, Asriel returned to his room to think. He needed some time for himself after everything that he went through those past few years. Of course, with Noelle inside him, he couldn't really be alone. Asriel laid down on his bed and stared at the ceiling for a moment before closing his eyes. He started to think what he'd do with his life if Gaster miraculously found a way to keep him that way. How would the people react to his return? What would they think of him once they found out what he did? And, more importantly, would all the people he knew (both when he was alive and when he was a flower) forgive him? __"It's like a curse…"__ \- he thought to himself - __"My family consists of people I once killed. How could I look them in the eyes?"__  
__"____Yeah, I wouldn't like to be in your shoes.____"__  
"N-Noelle..! You were not supposed to hear that…" - Asriel said aloud as he felt his cheeks flush in embarrassement.  
__"____But I did, because I have a curse of my own - to live inside the body of another.____"__ \- Noelle replied, but this time there surprisingly was no actual reproach in her tone.  
__"I'm sorry I'm putting you through this..."__ \- Asriel apologized.  
__"____I prefer this outcome to… the first one.____"__  
Asriel immediately understood what she was referring to. Which made him feel horrible about himself once again.  
__"I am very sorry for having killed Frisk too. As Flowey, I'd go this far to get what I want… and even further. I could kill the people I loved without any regret… but now that I am myself again, I can only feel pain and regret about my deeds."__ \- Asriel said as he winced a bit - __"It probably doesn't mean much now, but... what I said as Flowey isn't true. You're not a selfish girl, Noelle."__  
__"A____ctually, those words mean a lot. Even though I think I've been selfish more than once in my life.____"__ \- Noelle disagreed.  
__"We all are at some points. But that day, you weren't. I know you'd fight for your family to the end. And it was hypocritical of me to say you cared about yourself more than about your mother."__  
__"____Yeah... but I'm glad you're seeing your mistakes.____"__  
__"That's the point, Noelle. I see it now, because I have your SOUL inside. Because I can feel. But when I'm Flowey, I don't feel anything: no love, no empathy. This is why I hope Gaster finds a solution to save us both, so we can put an end to Flowey's evil deeds."__ \- Asriel remarked seriously.  
__"____Even though I'm still a little mad at you, I'll hope the best for ___**_both_**___ you and I.____"__  
__"You're nice, Noelle."__ \- Asriel smiled to himself - __"Too bad the world hasn't been that nice towards you."__  
A silence followed in Asriel's head. Not that he'd complain, but he could feel from the feelings within Noelle's SOUL that he upset her.  
__"Sorry for my noseyness, but I'm curious about the memory I saw in your dream."__ \- he stated carefully.  
__"____... I don't want to talk about it.____"__  
__"You and I shall spend some time in each other's dreams and memories."__ \- Asriel pointed out - __"We're literally bound to each other. So… we have to talk about something, right? To know each other a little better, so to speak."__  
Another silence followed until Noelle sighed and decided to tell Asriel about the memory.  
__"____Fine. What you saw is actually my worst memory. Well, aside the flashes of the day when I was found in the other world.____"__ \- Noelle started - __"____It wasn't the first time I was picked up by guys from my school, neither it was the last. The others often made fun of my naivety. They were saying that I was an idiot to believe my parents would ever come back for me. I actually believed it, you know? I did for a long while, until what you saw happened. As I was lying alone, calling my parents out of pure despair… I stopped believing. I realized that in this huge world, I was all alone. It was like my entire world fell apart. Just like did my childhood. Well, we're all supposed to grow up one day or another, but…____"__  
__"But not like that."__ \- Asriel finished for her, feeling moved by the confession -__"It was way too abrupt and that's why it was so painful."__  
__"____You got it right, Asriel.____"__ \- Noelle replied - __"____And now that I'm trapped inside you made me live this memory again, because I'm feeling similarily to that day. Just when I found my family, they're all out of my grasp. My world collapsed once more.____" __  
__"Noelle, I-"__  
But before Asriel could apologize once more for what he did, the door of his bedroom opened to show Toriel. She then walked up to her son and said:  
"I just got a phone call from your father. He's coming home in a few minutes and then we're going to see Gaster."  
"Alright... I guess I'll mentally prepare myself." - Asriel said as he rubbed the back of his head nervously.  
"Don't be afraid, my child. Your father and I will be there." - Toriel said reassuringly - "And so will Frisk. And Papyrus too."  
"Ugh, that's what I was fearing."  
Toriel gave him a sympathic look, understanding what was bothering him. She then hugged him gently and whispered:  
"It'll be alright, Asriel. You'll see."  
Asriel returned the embrace, burrying his face in the fur of his mother's left ear. The uncertitude of his future, the memories of his past sins, his guilt about stealing Noelle's SOUL… it all filled him with grief. He was feeling sick inside, and thus Toriel's warm embrace was very welcome at that moment. __"I want so badly to hope for the best…"__ \- he thought - __"But what if faith is not enough?"__

* * *

**A/N: The fact that Asriel loves snail pie was directly inspired from "Growth Spurt", another AU I love. :) **  
**Oh and, the "Disbelief Noelle" moment (yes, that's how I call it in my head XD) is just the first instance when Asriel and Noelle visit each other's depth of consciousness. Be prepared that soon Noelle will experience a crazy trip across Asriel's inner world! **

**I also have a small announcement regarding the one-shots. I've reached the point where most of one-shots I wrote are sequels rather than prequels. The sequels have huge spoilers of the end of the story. However, I want to upload one-shots from time to time. So, instead of uploading them in the order I wrote them, I shall only upload the prequel one-shots (even though there aren't that much of those left), and save all the sequel one-shots for the time I finish updating this main story. The ones I'll upload soon are mostly Papyrisk centered, of course! :D **


	32. Chapter 32

**Didn't take as long to update. Nothing much to say, so enjoy!**

* * *

"you gotta be kidding me, right?" - Sans asked, shocked by what Papyrus and Frisk just told him.  
The couple in fact explained Sans in details what happened during the night. Sans was shocked to learn that Noelle's SOUL was trapped inside a revived Asriel. He was obviously worried sick for his niece. But he was also on the edge to be pissed off because Papyrus and Frisk actually allowed Gaster to make some **_tests_** on "Asrielle". (Even in a moment like this, Sans found a way to mentally name the fusion.)  
"do you realize you're allowing the guy who tortured us for god knows how long to study our girl's soul?" - he remarked as his eyesockets turned all dark.  
"I KNOW HE DID DANGEROUS SCIENCE-RELATED THINGS BEFORE..." - Papyrus stated as he winced a bit a the bad memories - "BUT HE'S ALSO OUR ONLY CHANCE TO SAVE NOELLE AND ASRIEL, WITHOUT NEEDING TO SACRIFICE ANYBODY!"  
"If Noelle trusts him, I think we should do the same." - Frisk added.  
"noelle doesn't fully understand what she's agreeing to..!" - Sans protested.  
"SHE'S NOT A CHILD, SANS." - Papyrus protested - "NOELLE SURELY HAD GOOD REASONS TO TRUST GASTER. AND I ALWAYS WILL TRUST MY OWN DAUGHTER'S JUDGEMENT!"  
"Papyrus' right. Let's give it a chance, Sans." - Frisk requested gently - "We don't have dozens of options anyway. We must explore the possibility to keep Asriel alive too, for the sake of Asgore and Toriel."  
Sans sighed, closing his eyes. Frisk had a point. Despite his hate for Gaster, he had to think about the royal couple's best interests too. Toriel had been a very good and funny friend, and Asgore took good care of him and Papyrus after they've been discovered in the lab. Sans had already put his hatred for Gaster prior his family once; he couldn't make that same mistake again.  
"...fine. i will let gaster study noelle's soul. but it doesn't mean i trust him. i'm doing this just for the sake of our family."  
"YOU'LL SEE, EVERYTHING'S GOING TO BE OKAY. YOU WON'T REGRET THIS." - Papyrus said, confident.  
"i'm not so sure about it, but i'm not in the mood to argue." - Sans replied with a tired shrug.  
Papyrus and Frisk got relieved that convincing Sans went better than they anticipated. Sans surely didn't trust Gaster, but his trust wasn't necessary. What mattered was that Noelle trusted him.

Later that day, Toriel, Asgore, Frisk, Papyrus, Sans and Asriel were all at Gaster's house. The former scientist had already set up some material and was preparing a syringe. Asriel was sitting on a chair right next to Noelle's body, slightly fidgetting in nervousness. As he gave a look in the direction of the lifeless woman, he heard Noelle's voice say in his head:  
_"__It's so strange to see myself from a third point of view… It's makes me fully realize that I'm almost dead.__"_  
_"But you aren't. In any case, you'll get your body back."_ \- Asriel reminded her gently - _"If anything, uncertainity's hanging over me only."_  
"Alright." - Gaster said as the syringe was ready - "What I'll have to do now is to extract some of Noelle's SOUL essence. I have a few theories about it, but I must do a proper study to figure out its properties and what shall the next steps be, including the solution to prevent Asriel's revertion to his flower state."  
"WOULDN'T TAKE SOME ESSENCE AFFECT NOELLE OR ASRIEL IN ANY WAY?" - Papyrus asked with a worried expression - "I MEAN, IF THAT ESSENCE IS WHAT KEEPS THEM BOTH ALIVE…"  
"The quantity I'm about to take is too small, so it shouldn't." - Gaster answered.  
"it 'shouldn't'? as in, you're not sure?" - Sans asked with a wary look.  
"There is no zero percent risk, Sans." - Gaster said with a sigh - "But we'll never figure anything out if we don't get a closer look at the SOUL essence."  
"and you're sure that quantity's the strict necessary?" - Sans inquired, before his eyes darkened - "you're not making stocks for your scientific curiousity, are you?"  
"No, I am not. Now, if you could just let me do things properly?" - Gaster requested, getting a bit irritated.  
"sure. but if you do something suspicious, i tell you'll regret it." - Sans said with a dangerous tone, as his left eye started to glow blue.  
"Whatever." - Gaster ignored the threat, then turned to Asriel - "Are you two ready? You'll both experience discomfort from this."  
_"__It won't be the worst to happen, I suppose.__"_ \- Noelle commented in Asriel's head.  
"Yeah, we're… we're both ready." - Asriel said with a hint of nervousness.  
Gaster nodded, then magically summon the pink SOUL out of Asriel's chest. After a moment, the scientist carefully inserted the needle on the side of the glowing heart, which made Asriel wince. Gaster looked at Asriel, who slightly nodded, allowing him to continue. Gaster started to drain some of the SOUL substance, and Noelle's voice spoke up in Asriel's head once more:  
_"Ghnn… That pressure… I feel weird…"_  
Asriel, at that same time, clenched his fists and let out a moan. The next moment he started to shudder. Toriel and Frisk walked up to him and they gently grabbed his arms.  
"Asriel, are you okay?" - Frisk asked with concern.  
"Hold on, dear." - Toriel said gently - "It's almost over."  
"Done." - Gaster said as he removed the syringe from the SOUL, then said to Toriel - "Could you perhaps use your Healing magic on that spot? To avoid all risks."  
Toriel nodded and within a second healed the part where Gaster pierced with the needle. After that, Noelle's SOUL went back inside Asriel's body, who let out a alleviated sigh.  
"How are you feeling? And how's Noelle feeling?" - Frisk asked to Asriel.  
"We're okay... I think." - he replied - "Yeah, we're both alright."  
"didn't he take a bit too much though?" - Sans asked, still eyeing Gaster warily.  
Gaster just ignored the (obviously rhetorical) question. Asgore asked on his turn:  
"How long shall it take you to study Noelle's SOUL, Gaster?"  
"Hmm… A couple of hours, probably." - Gaster answered, before suggesting - "Maybe you all should go back home and I'll report you my observations once I'm done."  
"no way i'm moving from here." - Sans shook his skull - "i don't trust his science."  
"SANS! HE'S ALREADY TAKEN THE SAMPLE HE NEEDED. HOW DO YOU EXPECT HIM TO HURT NOELLE NOW?" - Papyrus pointed out.  
"Papyrus' right. He'll just do and record observations… correct?" - Frisk said, turning to Gaster.  
"That's right." - Gaster replied with a nod - "For now, I have all I need to do only harmless science."  
"Alright, I think it's better for us to meantime get distracted anyway." - Asgore then said - "Gaster also needs proper concentration."  
"That's also correct, Your Majesty."  
The group then headed the front door. After Gaster opened it, they all went out one by one, except for Asriel. He was hesitating. Gaster gave him a curious look and Toriel slightly tilted her head, asking:  
"Something's wrong, Asriel?"  
"I'm fine, Mom... I just… prefer to wait here in the meantime." - Asriel answered.  
"Why? Waiting here will only make you feel more anxious." - Asgore stated - "Don't you prefer to wait at home, in your good old room..?"  
"It would be nice, but… Noelle's more comfortable to wait here."  
Gaster crooked an eyebrow in curiousity.  
"...Oh. Well, I suppose we can't go against her wishes, then." - Asgore said after a short moment.  
"We'll see you later then, Asriel." - Toriel said on her turn.  
"See you later, Mom, Dad." - Asriel replied.  
Asriel's parents then walked away, while Frisk and Papyrus didn't. Without saying a word, they walked up to Asriel. Papyrus then gently grabbed Asriel's forearm and after a pause, said:  
"I... I WISH WE COULD PROPERLY TALK TO EACH OTHER, NOELLE. YOU SURELY DON'T FEEL VERY GREAT NOW... SO, I WANTED TO TELL YOU THAT IT'LL BE ALL OKAY. JUST… BELIEVE IN IT."  
"Even if we can't interact for real, keep in mind that we're with you." - Frisk said on her turn - "Stay determined, Noelle. ...Ha ha, I'm talking like Dad now… It just pains me I can't help you in any way… or even just hold you."  
_"__Oh dear… And it pains me to see you two like this…__"_ \- Noelle's voice said inside Asriel's head - _"__I wish I could reassure you in return… You seem to need more comfort than I do.__" _  
"Noelle feels sorry for you, guys." - Asriel said to the couple.  
_"__Asriel!__"_ \- Noelle gasped.  
"OH? SHE SAID SOMETHING IN YOUR HEAD?" - Papyrus asked curiously.  
"Yes. She doesn't like to see you sad about her… and she wants you to know she's okay." - Asriel informed - "...Well, relatively."  
"Noelle cares about our feelings more than about her own… She got it from Papyrus." - Frisk smiled a bit - "Thank you for letting us know what she says. It means a lot to us… And keep your head up too, Asriel!"  
"RIGHT! WE SAID WE'RE HERE FOR NOELLE, BUT WE'RE HERE FOR YOU TOO, IF YOU NEED US!"  
"Th-thanks, guys... I appreciate your empathy, even though I don't deserve it from either of you." - Asriel said, with a shameful look.  
"Nonsense. Family supports no matter what." - Frisk said as she patted Asriel's shoulder a little - "Alright, we shall go now. Let us know whenever there are news."  
"I'll be the first one to inform you anyway." - Gaster said from the porch of his house - "Now, could you please go? If I keep the door open any longer, my house will freeze. I don't need my children to catch a cold."  
"Right, sorry Dr Gaster." - Frisk replied - "Take care, Asriel. You too, Noelle."  
"BUT YOU CAN ALWAYS GIVE US A CALL IF EITHER OF YOU FEEL DOWN!" - Papyrus added.  
"What did I just say? Just go already..!" - Gaster sighed, with an annoyed look on his face.  
"FINE, FINE!"  
The couple then waved one last time when then exited the house, before Gaster closed and locked the door. The doctor then turned to Asriel and said:  
"Alright, Asriel. You can either wait in the living room, or follow me in my study. Just please don't distract me while I study the SOUL."  
"I'll come with you." - Asriel said - "Could you maybe give me a book then, please?"  
"Sure. Books aren't what's missing in this house. You can read anything you like."  
The two men then walked in the study, where Gaster had his working desk, a big bookcase and of course, a microscope. That was what the scientist needed to study the SOUL essence sample. As he was preparing his device, Asriel started to look across the bookcase, looking for something interesting to read. His attention was more directed to books for youth, though.  
_"__Really, Asriel? Don't you want to read something more… mature?__"_ \- Noelle commented.  
_"I died when I was a child. So, it's normal my tastes revolve this kind of literature."_ \- Asriel reminded, before adding - _"Besides, it's not because you're a grown up that you can't enjoy youth literature!"_  
_"__Chill out, I didn't want to offend you.__"_  
_"What kind of books do you read, anyway?"_ \- Asriel asked curiously.  
_"__Hmm… I read many things, actually. Novels are my favourite, of course. But I also like reading and learning about geography, psychology, astronomy,...__"_ \- Noelle replied thoughtfully - _"__Oh! Gaster has a book about minerals!__"_  
_"You're actually interested by this stuff?"_ \- Asriel asked, sounding dumbfounded - _"But it's useless!"_  
_"__Nothing's useless as long as you give it some interest.__"_  
_"Okay, so what do you want me to pick to read anyway?"_  
_"__I don't know… Hm, I wonder if Gaster even has romance novels..?__"_ \- Noelle pondered curiously.  
_"No, you're not making me read romance!"_ \- Asriel exclaimed, not too thrilled by the idea - _"I doubt Uncle Gaster has this, anyway."_  
_"__'Uncle Gaster'..?__"_  
_"Oh, uh I that's how I called him… back then."_  
_"__So... he was really close to your family, huh..?__"_ \- Noelle asked.  
_"Yeah... I realize now my parents were literally everything to him… He regularily visited our house, and so he and I knew each other well." _\- Asriel smiled at his childhood memories - _"True, Gaster's always been a busy person, very dedicated to his work. But he'd always bring me a gift for Gyftmas."_  
Asriel then didn't say anything more. Noelle understood that it was probably painful for Asriel to think about his innocent life and how it was abruptly interrupted. So, she decided to change the topic.  
_"__I think this book over there looks interesting.__"_  
_"Uh..?"_ \- Asriel snapped out of his melancholy - _"Science-Fiction, uh? Looks like a good plan."_  
So, Asriel took the book from the shelf and sat down on a small armchair in the corner and proceeded to read. A calm was ruling over the room, there was no noise, besides Gaster typing on his laptop. Asriel was luckily a quick reader, but Noelle figured out that she didn't even need to read along too, since she was hearing the goat monster's mental reading anyway. So, she "relaxed" in a way, as both of them were picturing the scenes from the book. At some point, Asriel dog-eared the page he decided to stop on and put the book aside. The sudden stop of reading session surprised Noelle, so she asked with a hint of disappointement:  
_"__What? You stop already?__"_  
"Sorry, not that much into it now..." - Asriel mumbled out loud without realizing.  
"What did you say, Prince Asriel?" - Gaster asked, raising his head.  
"Oh, just that... I'm done with reading for now." - Asriel replied - "Could I perhaps… borrow the book..? So I can finish it later?"  
"Of course, you can. You can keep it as long as you want."  
"S-sweet, thank you." - the prince replied a bit awkwardly, and after a silence he asked - "So, uh… are you discovering anything interesting about Noelle's SOUL?"  
"Yes... The properties of her SOUL are very interesting so far… but it'll take time before I could figure out properly how those can be used to keep you in your true form." - Gaster replied - "Though, the way particles of magic and determination coexist in perfect harmony is just… fascinating..! I never thought I'd see it with my own eyes! I've studied SOULs, both of humans and monsters, and I've read in history records about hybrid beings, but never did I _dream_ to have an opportunity to actually _study_ one."  
_"__He's really enjoying himself, huh?__"_ \- Noelle remarked, sounding annoyed by Gaster's excitement.  
"Noelle doesn't seem to like how much you're happy to experiment on a part of her." - Asriel said.  
_"__Asriel, stop that! I didn't ask you to-__"_  
"Ugh..." - Gaster facepalmed with a sigh - "I'm... I'm sorry. Old habits are hardly erased, I guess… I'm a scientist by my whole being, so of course I get passionate when it comes to study new things. ...Even if it's the least appropriate."  
The guilty look on Gaster's face made Noelle soften, her annoyance quickly gone.  
"Noelle seems to forgive you." - Asriel informed.  
_"__How do you know that? I didn't say anything__…"_ \- Noelle asked, surprised.  
_"With your SOUL inside, I can feel your emotions too."_ \- Asriel mentally replied.  
"The fact she forgives that easily makes things even worse..." - Gaster commented - "Just like it was with her father, Papyrus."  
"How so..?" - Asriel grew curious and confused.  
"It's just that... I... I don't _deserve_ to be forgiven by her..! Nor by anyone else that is…" - Gaster put his head between his hands - "I still don't understand why she's acting like this, when I..."  
He stopped. He wasn't sure he could talk about it with Asriel, especially knowing that Noelle was basically listening the entire conversation. Asriel looked at him with sympathy, then sat down on the edge of the desk, looking down at his feet.  
"I know exactly how you feel, you know. Because I've commited so many crimes that I doubt I'll ever deserve to be part of the family again… let alone just live as Asriel."  
"Don't speak like that." - Gaster said firmly - "Your situation and mine are different. It's true that the level of atrocity might be similar, but my case is worse. Because unlike you, I had my right mind all along. I didn't go through a transformation that changed who I am. Well, I _did_ change, but I suffered it from myself. You, however, changed due to external circumstances. Out of us two, you deserve the others' forgiveness more than I ever will."  
"Or maybe, you're thinking too high of me?" - Asriel suggested.  
Gaster didn't say anything. It was clear that it was because he disagreed with Asriel's position. Noelle couldn't help but wonder what troubled him so much. Why was it so difficult for Gaster to accept her forgiveness or sympathy? Asriel heard Noelle's question, but didn't dare to communicate it to Gaster. After a moment, Noelle said:  
_"__You can ask him.__"_  
"Gaster... Noelle tries to understand why you almost refuse her forgiveness."  
The question made Gaster uncomfortable. It wasn't a question he was ready to answer to. And he probably would never be. Asriel and Noelle could sense his discomfort. So, the young prince said:  
"Noelle won't judge you."  
"I doubt she'll think the same after I answer, but…" - Gaster then paused, before asking - "Asriel, do you remember your very first attempt to steal Noelle's SOUL?"  
"...Of course. I could never forget that. It was… not a long time before the De-Code, when she was still a toddler."  
_"__Wait... ...What? When exactly did this happen?__"_ \- Noelle exclaimed (since she obviously had no memory of that day).  
Asriel ignored her question. Gaster asked again:  
"So, you surely remember how you failed to get it."  
"Y-yeah, a skeletal blaster appeared out of nowhere and attacked me, so I ran away. Sans has always been very protective of people he cares for." - Asriel replied - "But how do you know about-"  
"It wasn't Sans who summoned that blaster. It was me."  
"W-what…?" - Asriel's eyes rounded.  
_"__What..?__"_  
"That's right... I was there that day and I witnessed the whole thing." - Gaster said before letting out a sigh and pursuing - "When I saw you attack the very young and… _fragile_ Noelle, for some odd reason I felt a rush to protect her. And so I did."  
_"__He... Gaster actually... saved my life..?__"_ \- Noelle asked, sounding shocked.  
"So... you saved Noelle from me that day. Isn't that a good thing though..?" - Asriel asked with a confused expression.  
"No! I mean, yes it's good that I saved her… What's bad is what happened next." - Gaster then looked away before pursuing - "After you ran away Asriel, Noelle was crying alone, shaken by what happened and scared. Her parents were not around, she obviously needed comfort… And I was watching her from behind a corner. I just _stood there_ and _watched_. I didn't have the… _courage_ to walk to her and at least check if she was okay. Any other person would have, while I _didn't_."  
"You weren't exactly in good terms with her family. You were preparing the De-Code anyway, weren't you?"  
"That's the point..! I might have saved her that day, but I launched the De-Code months later and made her life miserable. I... I used the excuse of the De-Code to not move. I told myself 'What's the point to give her any comfort, considering what I'm about to do?'" - Gaster paused for a moment, before addressing directly to Noelle - "Noelle... The day you found out the truth about everything, you asked me if I ever hesistated… I answered you that I never did. But I shamelessly lied. Because when I was watching you after Flowey's attack, I was so tempted to approach you and… scratch my plans."  
Another silence followed. Noelle felt moved, and so did Asriel. After a moment, Gaster looked at Asriel but quickly averted his gaze, as if trying to avoid Noelle's gaze. He spoke up again, with a quieter tone:  
"Don't you see..? That day, I had my chance - a chance to do things right, to make the right choice. But once again, like many times in my life… I made the wrong one. I threw my chance out of the window. _This_ is why I don't deserve forgiveness from you, Noelle."  
_"__Oh my goodness, Gaster...__"_ \- Noelle said with a moved tone - _"__I had no idea you've been living with such a weight on your SOUL..! This must've been a torture.__"_  
"Noelle's filled with desolation for you." - Asriel said, sounding sad too.  
"B-but _**why**_...?" - Gaster breathed out, as his eyes glowed red in agony - "Just... why? Didn't you get what I just said..? Aren't you angry at me..? You should be… You _must_ be..! Because of me you grew up as an orphan… and it's because of me that you're now forced to share someone else's body..!"  
Gaster started to rattle his bones. He tried to prevent the rattling, but failed. He was having another breakdown. Far to be as bad as the first one he had weeks ago in the True Lab, but still.  
_"Oh no, how can we help him..?"_ \- Asriel asked to Noelle - _"What would you do now?"_  
_"__Um... I think I know the right words to say.__"_ \- Noelle said pensively - _"__It could be as much a success as a failure… but it's worth a try.__"_  
"Gaster... Noelle has something to tell you." - Asriel said out loud.  
Gaster looked up at the prince, meeting a sorry expression. Asriel laid his paw on the skeleton's forearm, which made him wince. Asriel knelt down to be more at Gaster's level and spoke.  
"Noelle says that we all do wrong choices in life." - Asriel spoke up the words Noelle was telling him in his head - "But not only bad things can emerge from those choices. Amid all the negative effects of your actions, there's still something good that came out of it."  
"I'm curious to know what it is…" - Gaster let out a sad chuckle.  
Asriel smiled a little as he heard Noelle's answer, before telling it to Gaster:  
"Thanks to the De-Code, Sam and Piper could be born. Otherwise, neither she or you would've known the happiness the twins provide."  
"Ha... She's… she's actually right…!" - Gaster finally smiled a little.  
A single tear fell down his cheek though. But Gaster hurried to wipe it away with his sleeve. Asriel gave his "uncle" a look of sympathy, then he added:  
"Noelle wants you to try forgive yourself. And just enjoy all the good that's offered to you, already! Those are her exact words."  
"Yeah... I still don't understand how she does to be so forgiving… it's most likely just hereditary… But I guess I can try." - Gaster replied with a light nod.  
"Good." - Asriel smiled genuinely, yet a bit childishly.  
"Thank you Noelle... and to you too, Prince Asriel." - Gaster then said.  
"Um... Could you perhaps not call me 'prince'?" - Asriel requested - "I know that it's what I am, but... after everything that happened to both of us, I think it'll be more comfortable if we talked as equals."  
"If that's what you prefer, Asriel."  
Gaster then decided to resume his research about hybrid SOUL properties and Asriel decided to go have a walk around the house meantiime. He was hiding in the Underground or in the streets of Monster Village for a long while now, he wanted to see new places and scenaries for a change. Asriel was walking in the house and studying the details. He noticed that most of the furniture was very new, since the house had been furnished very recently for Gaster to live there. But he could also see older things, that actually belonged to Gaster before the De-Code. (Like it was notably the case of many books in the study.) Asriel even saw a framed photo of Gaster, Asgore and Toriel on a shelf. _"__Wow, they really meant a lot to him…__"_ \- Noelle commented as she looked at the photo - _"__And he looks… so much more innocent here. Oh, and isn't that Papyrus' scarf he's wearing?__"_  
_"Yeah, it's the same scarf."_ \- Asriel chuckled - _"And I agree that he looks more innocent and… nicer."_  
_"__I wonder what changed him.__"_  
_"I think... He changed after my and Chara's death, actually."_ \- Asriel lowered his head in sadness - _"Mom left and locked herslef in the Ruins, making Gaster eventually think she was dead. And Dad declared war on humanity, swearing to become godlike. So, Gaster feared to lose the last 'family' he had and that's why he started his illegal experiments."  
"__That's... that's a tragic story...__"_ \- Noelle replied sadly.  
"Wh-what the **heck** you're doing here?!" - a voice suddenly got heard.  
Asriel blenched and turned around in the direction of the stairs. His eyes widened as he saw Sam and Piper standing there, with confused and maybe a little scared looks. Noelle felt a rush of love fill her as she saw them, but then the sight of their faces upset her. Both kids had dark circles under their eyes and there were faint tear stains on their cheeks. Piper had a more sad and nervous look, while Sam's one reflected anger. His stare was basically piercing Asriel. Sam finally spoke, hissing beween his teeth:  
"You... you dirty mother killer..."

* * *

**A/N: Even though it's with Noelle around that Gaster has breakdowns, paradoxally she's progressively healing him. Noelle seems to have an inborn gift to somehow reach Gaster through his walls. She's basically like a therapy for him, but more effective (and cheaper, lol). **  
**And Gaster's actually referring to the flashback shown in the last chapter of the first arc. (chapter 18)**

**And suspense! More exciting things are to come in the next chapter, notably an insight to Asriel's childhood. (Remember, Noelle's still supposed to visit the depths of his mind, like I promised.) And of course, potentially a solution (or not?) to keep both Noelle and Asriel alive. **


	33. Chapter 33

**Another chapter? So fast? No way! I shall just add that after this chapter, there will be only two left before the start of arc 3. Enjoy!**

* * *

Asriel wasn't moving. As he met Sam's gaze, he knew that the boy was very pissed off at him. Sam had a good reason to be angry, of course. But it still made Asriel uncofortable, especially that he's been called "dirty mother killer". As he felt his own face sweat in nervousness, he still decided to try have a calm talk with Sam and reason him.  
"S-Sam... I... I understand perfectly you're angry at me…" - Asriel started nervously - "And for a very valid reason… But let's uh… let's not use big words and… just talk reasonably..?"  
"__Just talk__, uh?" - Sam asked, the look in his eyes never changing - "How dare you to suggest this? Did you offer __Noelle__ to talk before ripping out her SOUL?!"  
"I... Sam, I'm very sorry…"  
"No! I don't want to hear it from you!" - Sam shouted - "You can't claim you're sorry when Noelle's as well as dead! If you really were sorry, you'd release her SOUL already!"  
"But Sam, it would just kill him…" - Piper finally dared to speak up and try reason her brother on her turn.  
"Don't defend him, Piper!" - Sam snapped back at her - "Had Asriel have a little bit of honor, he'd sacrifice himself for Noelle!"  
"Sam, I swear that I wanted to do just that..!" - Asriel said - "But... But we're looking for a way to keep me alive even after I release Noelle's SOUL. I just… I don't want to turn back into Flowey again..! I don't want to hurt and kill people anymore..! Try to understand… This is why your father's looking for a solution… so nobody will be hurt."  
"And what if he doesn't?" - Sam asked.  
"What..?"  
"What if Dad doesn't find a way to keep you like that… then what?" - Sam started to tremble in attempt to control his emotions.  
"I... I don't know…" - Asriel answered honestly.  
"Does that mean that maybe…" - Piper didn't dare to finish her question as her eyes widened.  
"Yes, Piper. They'll have to choose __one__." - Sam said with a low tone.  
"No... Dad will find a way to save them both… He has to." - Piper said with a quieter, yet mildly shocked tone.  
As Noelle watched her two children, she felt a huge pain pierce her whole being. She didn't like to see her children sad, desperate and heartbroken. She wanted so much to comfort them and tell them that everything would be alright. Noelle wanted just hug them tightly so much. But she couldn't, and it saddened her. Noelle just wished she could let the twins know __how much she loved them__. Asriel could feel all Noelle's feelings. So, he stepped towards the twins and said:  
"Your mother doesn't like to see you that way. I makes her very upset. Because she loves you with all her being."  
"You have no right to tell how she feels!" - Sam snapped at him - "Those feelings are __hers__… This SOUL is __hers__! Not yours!"  
__"____Sam, he just wanted to help…____"__ \- Noelle thought - __"____I really need you to know my feelings… You're saddening me, Sam... I understand your pain. But I just want to talk with you. I just want you to know that I love you.____"__  
But at that moment, the world started to spin and turn dark for both Asriel and Noelle. Asriel felt really sick and weird all of sudden and it was shortly after that he fell unconscious on the floor. He and Noelle could faintly hear Piper exclaim in alarm:  
"Asriel..! Noelle..!"

Noelle looked around and saw that she was in the middle of darkness. She guessed that Asriel was probably not awake. Noelle remembered how during the agitated situation, everything around Asriel was like spinning until it got blurred. She also recalled that Asriel's thoughts weren't very coherent at that moment.  
"He must've passed out…" - Noelle muttered to herself.  
She decided to walk around to investigate. Maybe she could reach Asriel in his wide inner world and make him wake up. So, Noelle started to walk in an abstract direction, not knowing where exactly she was going. This situation reminded her of the time when she separated herself from her body for the first time to save everyone from the De-Code. Everything around was nothing but darkness.  
"I must arrive somewhere at some point, right?"  
Soon, Noelle saw a form of light. She made a few more steps until she was inside a scene. She was now inside Asriel's dream, maybe even a memory. Noelle quickly noticed two children. One of them was obviously a younger version of Asriel. He seemed to be around twleve years old, maybe thirteen. Asriel was wearing a green shirt with yellow stripes and black pants. No shoes, since the goat monsters never wore them. The fluffy prince had round innocent brown eyes, just like his mother's, and he didn't even have horns. Noelle couldn't help but note that Asriel was a cute fluffy boy and that he resembled Toriel a lot. __"Seriously, who'd ever want to kill such a precious thing?"__ \- Noelle wondered. The thought that the goat boy had been mercilessly murdered by humans upset Noelle a lot. She then directed her attention on the other kid. This one was a human. Noelle guessed that this child had to be the "Chara" Flowey told her about when he had kidnapped her back in Undertown. Chara was wearing an outfit very similar to Asriel's one; a green shirt with a single yellow stripe and brown pants. The green of the shirt was of a different shade. The girl had a white, slightly pale, skin. Noelle couldn't tell for sure what her eye color was, since the hair fringe was a little too long, making a curtain over the upper face. The shoulder-lenght hair was paler than Frisk's, having a more caramel-like color. Even though Chara was a girl, her facial features were a bit ambiguous, so an inattentive one could mistake her for a boy. Noelle then saw that the two playing together children ran to a room that seemed to be a study. Noelle quickly realized that it was the case, since she saw there a too familiar figure - Dr Gaster. The skeleton was wearing his favourite outfit, but he didn't yet have the cracks on his face, nor the holes in his palms. __"Makes sense."__ \- Noelle thought. And of course, Gaster was immersed in the work he was doing. Noelle then turned her head as she saw Asriel run in the room, greeting the scientist with a cheery tone.  
"Hello, Uncle Gaster!"  
This made Noelle smile for some reason. Without turning his head, Gaster answered, without failing to sign with his magical hands.  
"Hello, Prince Asriel."  
The child was quickly gone. It was Chara's turn to enter the room and, putting a smile on her face, she said with a quieter but similarily joyful voice:  
"Hello, Uncle Gaster."  
Gaster immediately shuddered as soon as he heard the human's voice, clearly not pleased that Chara addressed to him that way. He turned around to face the kid, with a hard expression on his face, literally shooting her with his glance.  
"That's Dr Gaster to you, human." - the scientist said with a calm yet harsh tone, saying the word "human" as if it was some poison.  
Chara stared at him a little bit stunned until Gaster resumed his paper work, then she slowly walked away to join her brother. Noelle's eyes were a bit wide, as she felt something similar to anger rise within her being. Just how dared Gaster belittle a kid just for belonging to a different species!  
"Just... wow, Gaster. That was quite… racist. She's just a child, damnit! It's not very mature for an adult to pick on a child, you know _**_Doctor_**_ Gaster?!" - Noelle yelled, occasionally waving her arms in frustration.  
Of course, her yells went to deaf ears, since the scene was just a memory. Quickly after, the scene dissipated to show only Asriel and Chara talk to each other.  
"I hate to be associated to a human!" - Chara exclaimed with a clearly upset expression - "I wish I was a monster! I want to be seen as no different from everyone else in the Underground!"  
"But everyone treats you as their equal, Chara." - Asriel tried to reassure her with a softer tone - "Everybody's very different here, so you fit perfect in here."  
"Well, Gaster clearly doesn't treat you and me the same way." - Chara crossed her arms.  
"That's... that's because he has bad memories about humans…" - Asriel looked away - "Just like you do. But I'm sure that over the time, he'll see you're good and eventually, will like you."  
"I have doubts… I could feel the stab from his gaze." - Chara muttered in response.  
"I'm sure things are not that bad. Uncle Gaster's a good person." - Asriel said, sounding almost naive.  
"Yeah... whatever. Anyway, I __hate__ to be seen as a human."  
Noelle noticed something else about Chara's face. Asriel had the face of a child's innocence. Frisk - as Noelle had the occasion to see photos of when she was younger - had a face that reflected joy, curiousity and playfulness. They both represented what a child was. Chara however, was different. Her face didn't have that carelessness Frisk or Asriel had. It reflected something different; it looked almost as if there was something… dead inside Chara. Or rather, as if her soul had been deeply scarred by life. This observation made Noelle frown. But before she could ponder any longer on the matter, the scenary around her changed. She saw that she was in the children's bedroom in New Home. Asriel and Chara were sitting there, with serious expressions on their faces. Asriel was even holding a camera (with the cap on) for some reason. Noelle was curious to know what this memory was about. She didn't catch the question Chara asked, but she did hear Asriel's answer.  
"Oh, yeah, I remember. When we tried to make butterscotch pie for Dad, right? The recipe asked for cups of butter... But we accidentally put in buttercups instead. Yeah! Those flowers got him really sick. I felt so bad. We made Mom really upset." - Asriel said with a guilty look - "I should have laughed it off, like you did…"  
The latter statement concerned Noelle a bit. What did Asriel mean by "laugh it off"? Chara didn't actually laugh at the incident, right? Nobody would've laughed if their father got poisoned. __"I wouldn't, anyway."__ \- Noelle thought - __"Or maybe it was a just a reaction to nervousness and stress..?" __  
"Um, anyway, where are you going with this?" - Asriel then asked.  
"Turn off the camera, Asriel." - Chara said quietly, her expression serious and a bit dark.  
Asriel was a bit confused by the request, wondering what was in his sister's mind. What was that Chara wanted to tell him that she didn't want to be recorded? But Asriel complied and turned off the camera. Noelle was curious too. Chara then faced Asriel and said:  
"Dad once said that the Barrier that keeps monsterkind trapped can be broken with the power of seven human SOULs."  
"Y-yeah, that's correct." - Asriel confirmed with a nod.  
"And... I also learned that... if a monster absorbs a human SOUL, he can cross the Barrier." - Chara pursued - "This made me wonder… Asriel, you and I are best friends, right?"  
"Of course, Chara. But what's with your interest to the Barrier..?" - Asriel asked, not sure to understand.  
"And we can always trust each other… can't we?" - Chara looked straight into Asriel's eyes, seeking a solid confirmation.  
Asriel only nodded in response. Noelle felt her heart tighten. She knew where this was going and she didn't like it. Chara then put her hands over her brother's shoulder and said:  
"What if you and I can break the Barrier and save monsterkind together? What do you say to that?"  
"What...? Are you saying that one of us must absorb the other's SOUL…?" - Asriel asked, his eyes widening as he understood - "And then… seek for six other SOULs on the Surface..?"  
"You've seen what buttercups do. I'll give you my SOUL and when you absorb it, you can cross the Barrier without trouble." - Chara confirmed, her expression still serious - "We can become heroes, Azzy! We can finally give monsterkind what they deserve - a life on the surface! I can finally make up for the atrocities humankind put us-… __you__ through!"  
"But you don't have to make up for anything, Chara. Nor do you need to proof us anything."  
"And you, you'll become the ruler monsters deserve, the greatest one." - the human kid ignored the previous statement - "Don't you want your people's happiness, Azzy? Weren't our parents trapped in the Underground for too long? Isn't it time to put the end on this jail?"  
"Yes, I want our parents and everyone else to be happy and finally see the sky, but…"  
A pause followed. Noelle could sense both Asriel's fear and sadness, and Chara's expectation. Asriel then spoke up again, his voice trembling a little:  
"I... I don't like this idea, Chara."  
"You're crying?" - Chara asked, sounding blank, this being more like a statement than a question.  
Indeed, there were tears in Asriel's eyes, threatening to fall down his cheeks. The sight of the goat-boy crying made Noelle's heart ache.  
"Wh.. what? N-no, I'm not…" - Asriel tried to deny the obvious.  
"What have I told you before?" - Chara said with a sigh.  
"...big kids don't cry. Yeah, you're right." - Asriel forced himself to sound firm, then wiped his tears away with his striped sleeve.  
"Are you doubting me, Azzy?"  
"No! I'd never doubt you, Chara. Never!" - Asriel exclaimed, his expression showing his infinite trust in his human sibling.  
"If we want to save monsterkind, we have to be strong, Asriel." - Chara said with a slightly softer tone, yet very serious.  
"Y... yeah! We'll be strong! We'll free everyone." - Asriel replied, sounding confident - "I'll go get the flowers."  
Noelle's green eyes widened when she saw the goat-boy stand up and walk to the exit of the bedroom. She didn't want this to happen! Even though she knew it was a memory of what already happened, Noelle didn't want to see it!  
"Asriel!" - she called for him.  
She quickly ran to him and almost managed to touch Asriel's shoulder, but before she could she saw from the corner of her eye Chara staring in her direction. Noelle could've sworn that her eyes… turned __red__? The sight freaked Noelle out, so she gasped after what Asriel was already out of her reach and the room around her became all blurry.  
"N-no..! Asriel..!" - Noelle tried to call for him.  
But Asriel didn't show up, neither did he respond. Noelle could barely see across that "wind" of blurred memories around her. Soon, she could recognize a scene that featured Asgore and Toriel, so Noelle quickly stepped in without thinking. She was back in the children's bedroom, and the goat-parents were standing near one of the beds. On that bed, was lying a lifeless Chara. She had a very pale face, as though she's been really sick. __"The buttercups…"__ \- Noelle guessed. The woman then noticed that Asgore and Toriel had eyes full of tears and their voices trembled as they spoke.  
"Chara... Can you hear me?" - Toriel said as she knelt down, stroking the child's hair - "We want you to wake up…"  
"Chara! You have to stay determined! You can't give up! You are the future of humans and monsters…" - Asgore said on his turn, as he took the small human hand in his large furry one.  
Asriel was there too, sitting on his knees, face burried in the bed sheets and his shoulders shaking. He was sobbing. Noelle understood what happened. Chara just died. She felt bad for the heartrboken goat-family, and she felt her own heart break a little too. Soon after, Chara's SOUL emerged from her chest. Toriel burried her face into her husband's chest, sobbing loudly. Asgore was rubbing her back with a distant look on his face and after a moment, he touched his son's shoulder. Asriel turned his head very slightly, to look at his father who stood up with Toriel in his arms. The look on the king's face was suggesting him to go. (So he could move the body elsewhere, to prepare for the upcoming funeral.) But the goat-boy turned his head away again, refusing to move. Asgore and Toriel then exchanged a look, wordlessly agreeing to leave Asriel a little more time. After all, the two children have been very close. The royal couple then left the room, leaving Asriel alone with his deceased sister. Then, Asriel lifted his head and said quietly:  
"... Psst… Chara... Please... Wake up... I don't like this plan anymore. I... I..."  
Noelle felt sympathy for the young prince. She also felt fear, anticipating what was coming next. Asriel then looked at the red SOUL levitating above Chara's body and after a moment, he said, trying to sound fearless (but he was obviously scared).  
"... no, I said... I said I'd never doubt you. Six, right? We just have to get six... And we'll do it together, right?"  
Noelle then watched how Asriel stood up and absorbed Chara's SOUL, after what he transformed. He looked basically like he looked currently in real life, a grown up yet still young goat, wearing a purple Delta Rune robe. His eyes looked somewhat different though. Asriel then picked up Chara's body and left the room. Noelle rushed after him, feeling her heart pounding in her chest.  
"Wait..! Asri-"  
But then, the scenary around changed again, even though the figure in front of her didn't. Asriel had still his back turned to her, never letting go of his sister's body. Noelle saw that they were in a park, which meant it was the Surface. She then saw how Asriel knelt down to a bed of golden flowers to put down Chara there. But then, screams got heard.  
"A monster!"  
"He killed that child!"  
"We must get rid of him, before he kills anybody else!"  
And so, the humans ran in Asriel's direction, attacking him with different weapons. Noelle gasped in shock when she saw how Asriel wasn't even trying to fight back, just taking all the hits. She then saw grab his head with his hands and talk alone:  
"N-no..! No, I can't... I won't harm these people..! I refuse to kill anybody..!"  
Noelle guessed that he was fighting for control; Asriel was battling with Chara inside. Noelle had no idea how this could feel like, since she never really tried to control his body (the idea to control a body that wasn't her own just felt weird to her). Then, to her great surprise, she heard Chara's voice.  
"You don't get it, Asriel! You idiot..! In __this__ world, it's kill or be killed!"  
The last part then kept echoing around, making Noelle shudder.  
__"It's kill or be killed..!"  
"It's kill or be killed..!"  
"It's kill or be killed..."__  
Noelle then decided to put an end to all this and she rushed across the immaterial people and things straight to Asriel, just as he was picking up Chara again.  
"Asriel, snap out of it..!" - she yelled as she literally jumped over him.  
But she never landed on him, because he vanished at the same time as the scenary. Noelle didn't get hurt falling on the floor. She figured out that the bed of golden flowers didn't disappear, unlike the rest of the scenaray, which was now all dark. Noelle sat down on her knees, confused and wondering what was coming next. Then, Flowey popped up from beneath the flowers and said:  
"Howdy! I'm Flowey! Flowey the flower!"  
"No... No, you're not Flowey. You're Asriel!" - Noelle tried again to snap her "host" out of his bad memories - "It's me, Noelle! Don't you remember…?"  
"Don't tell me who I am, you idiot!" - Flowey shouted at her with a pissed off face - "I know who I am! I am __the prince of this world__ and you shall DIE!"  
Flowey then suddenly turned into his Omega form, making Noelle yelp in shock and her eyes widen. When looking at this monstrosity, it was impossible to tell that it had once been the fluffy and nice prince.  
"I'm gonna kill you one million times!" - Omega Flowey threatened Noelle.  
But Noelle wasn't scared. Well, not really. Because she knew this was all just a dream, and thus she couldn't die. Asriel, in his Omega Flowey form, was absolutely not conscious that it all wasn't real. The plant creature started to aim at Noelle with different things, and Noelle couldn't help but remark how much WTF it all looked. __"Did Frisk really have to go through all this…?"__ But this didn't stop Noelle. She jumped on one of Omega Flowey's members (?) and ran up to his head.  
"What are you doing?!"  
"Asriel! Stop it all now! Just stop!" - Noelle screamed as she almost reached the tv-like head - "That's not you! You're dreaming, Asriel!"  
She finally managed to actually touch him and, as she put her both hands over the face, she half-whispered:  
"It's over now... You can stop all this... It's all in your past... Asriel, can you hear me..? Do you remember who I am?"  
"N-Noelle..." - the creature said with Asriel's voice this time.  
"Yes..! Yes, that's me." - Noelle smiled in relief - "You can turn back into your normal self now. It's okay."  
Within a second, the horrifying creature became the Asriel Noelle know again. He looked shocked by what happened and a bit ashamed.  
"I... I'm sorry..." - he then breathed out.  
"It's alright. It was just a dream, after all." - Noelle replied.  
"I just... I have no idea what came over me." - Asriel said as he sat down on his knees.  
"I might have an idea..." - Noelle said with a look of empathy on her face as she laid her hand on Asriel's shoulder - "I think that you in a way felt more secure being Flowey. Because it's much easier to go through some things when you feel nothing."  
"I suppose you're right... As much as I hate to be Flowey... it now hurts so much to be myself again. It hurts, Noelle… You have no idea how feelings make my heart ache… when I see all the wrong I did. Especially towards your children. When your son confronted me about what I did, I felt shame and guilt pierce me." - Asriel said, looking down - "I could faintly sense you in my dreams, you know? But I guess my desire to hide from reality made me near to deaf and blind."  
"You locked yourself in your memories." - Noelle understood - "I want to ask you… was Chara the one who inspired your path as Flowey?"  
"H-huh..? So, you've seen my memories... Well, she did in a way. We were having a harsh argument in my head. And we died without having a chance to reconcile. So, when I... came back as Flowey, I thought that… I thought that Chara was right all along. It was because of my pacifism that I died. And so, I assumed that this world really worked as she said - kill or be killed."  
"But she was wrong. That's not how it works, there's always a different solution." - Noelle replied - "Just like she was wrong to take you on that path in the first place."  
"Maybe that's why I still have trouble to let go of her..." - Asriel admitted - "I wish Chara was there, sometimes… even though it probably wouldn't be my best interest."  
"Chara did lead you straight to your death." - Noelle said with a serious look, then looked down - "I don't mean to speak badly about the dead, but still…"  
"No, it's okay. It's true that Chara had her flaws. I was just a bit blind to notice them back then." - Asriel admitted - "It was only when I met Frisk that I realized it. Your mother's been so nice towards me… You resemble her a lot, you know Noelle?"  
"It's nice to hear it from you..." - Noelle blushed a bit, before letting out a sad sigh - "Now, this reminded me how much I miss her… and Papyrus too. When I was uh… properly alive, I feel like didn't cherish enough their kindness and love. I can't help but wonder now - have I been too cold to them? Maybe I was a little…"  
"I'm sure you were doing your best, Noelle. And they'll love you regardless of your attitude. I know them long enough to tell."  
"Heh, thanks Asriel. But I hope that now, you don't believe in this twisted phylosophy anymore?"  
"No, I don't. And I won't... as long as I'm Asriel, and not Flowey." - Asriel said - "Frisk showed me that you can solve problems without anybody having to die. In fact, this gave me a certain confidence about my own vision of things. Before I turned to dust, I no longer knew what to believe. But now, I no longer doubt my vision. I see that __we both can__ make it."  
"Ah, I'm relieved to see you got faith!" - Noelle smiled at him approvingly.

"Asriel..?"  
The goat monster slowly opened his eyes before realizing that he was awake again. The first person he saw was Gaster, looking at him with concern. Seeing Asriel open his eyes, Gaster breathed out in relief:  
"Thank goodness... You gave us quite a scare..!"  
"Ugh... What happened exactly..?"  
Asriel sat down and saw that he's been lying on the couch in the living room. Piper was sitting next to him, while Sam was standing a bit furthing, leaning againt a cabinet.  
"You passed out, when Sam was yelling at you." - Piper reminded him - "How are you feeling?"  
"I don't know... I'm a bit tired, I guess? And I feel unsteady." - Asriel answered.  
"Like when your head spins?" - Piper asked.  
"S-something like that..." - Asriel replied before lying down again.  
"Mind me to ask what you... or Noelle were feeling before losing consciousness?" - Gaster asked.  
"I think... I think Noelle was feeling very sad and sorry for her children, not bearing to see them suffer because of her condition." - Asriel said thoughtfully - "That, along with a strong love of course."  
"Hmm, like I suspected..." - Gaster said as his index finger touched his chin - "Very strong feelings are notably what produces determination. You've been overdosed by DT, so you must be __very__ careful."  
"Wait... or I could just... __melt__? Like the amalgamates?" - Asriel's eyes widened.  
"If you're both not careful, you might." - Gaster said - "But there are good news. I might've figured out how to save you both."  
__"____What?!____"__ \- Noelle exclaimed in Asriel's mind.  
"What..?" - Asriel asked, not have expected anything at this point yet.  
"I withrew enough of Noelle's SOUL essence to forge a new SOUL for you, Asriel." - Gaster said.  
"W-what..? It's really possible?" - Asriel gasped in surprise.  
"In theory, yes. There's enough of essence to make a SOUL in its earliest stage of developement, like one within a foetus. Once injected in your body, Noelle's SOUL will do the rest. It'll sustain yours and make it grow." - Gaster explained.  
__"____Wait... It's like I'll be like a surrogate mama to this big goat-guy..?____"__ \- Noelle reacted to the idea with a weird tone.  
__"No. Think about it as though you'll be making a heart-shaped sculpture."__ \- Asriel replied mentally, rolling his eyes.  
"See? See? I knew Noelle would be alright! I knew Dad would find a way!" - Piper exclaimed excitingly, then turned to her brother and said - "Since there's a solution, you have no reason to be mad at Asriel now."  
"Hmpf... I guess." - Sam grumbled reluctantly.  
"He'll like you, I'm sure." - Piper said to Asriel with a smile.  
"Hey, don't talk for me!" - Sam told his sister.  
"I just wanted to ease the mood a little..!" - Piper protested.  
"Now, now, no arguing." - Gaster requested to his children - "As for our SOUL topic, I insist that it just __could__ work. It might as well not work. You body and the new SOUL might not connect and make one."  
"It's worth a try. We don't have dozens of possibilities anyway." - Asriel replied - "I'm willing to try it. And so is Noelle."  
"Alright, I'll inform your both parents then." - Gaster said as he took his cellphone - "We can do this whenever you feel ready, Asriel."  
"Can we do this tomorrow already?" - Asriel asked - "I understand the risks, but I think the sooner we do it, the better. Besides, I think Sam and Piper don't want wait for their mother for too long."  
"If that's what you want, we'll do that tomorrow." - Gaster said - "I'll tell your parents about my idea, and then I'll explain the process with more details."  
Asriel just smiled in response before Gaster dialed Toriel's number. Maybe there was a gleam of hope in his long way of darkness. Maybe once more, he'll be proven that nobody had to die. That there was a third way.

* * *

**A/N: Yes, I included the scene from a short comic Zarla made about Gaster having known Asriel and Chara well, while being very salty to the human child. I just couldn't not include it here! **

**And if Gaster's suggestion seems a bit rushy, don't worry. It all will be explained in details in the next chapter, just like Gaster said. ^^ So... let's cross our fingers his idea works? **


	34. Chapter 34

**And here's the pre-last chapter of this arc! I hope you'll enjoy it. :P**

* * *

It was dark outside, and the streets of the Monster Village were almost empty, even though it wasn't that late actually. The falling snowflakes could be seen in the areas illuminated by street lamps. A puppy boy was running across the streets, wearing a backpack. It was Pupamy. When he finally reached his destination, which was Gaster's house, he breathed out nervously. As Pupamy approached the door, he prepared himself to knock, but didn't dare. He wasn't brave enough to stand face to face with the scientist who had the power over the space-time fabric. The thought of his abilities was rather scary, and so Pupamy feared Gaster. After a moment of thinking, the boy just opened the backpack, took out notebooks, and laid it down on the threshold. _"Okay, they'll find it here soon…"_ \- he thoutht to himself, as he turned around to go away. But he barely made five steps as he heard the door behind him open.  
"What's the hurry?"  
Pupamy froze at his spot. He couldn't understand what Gaster just said, but it didn't matter. Just being caught made him nervous. He slowly turned around to face Gaster standing at the porch, giving him a what resembled a curious look (difficult to tell for sure with his lack of expressiveness). Since Pupamy wasn't saying anything, Gaster asked, his signing well visible now:  
"You must be Pupamy, am I correct?"  
"Err… y-yes, sir." - Pupamy replied with a frantic nod - "I... Don't mind me, I'm leaving. I just brought what we studied at schoold today, since Sam and Piper didn't show up…"  
"So I can see…" - Gaster said as he picked up the books from the ground - "It was very thoughtful of you, but… why acting like a thief?"  
"W-what..? No, I just didn't want to disturb." - Pupamy lied.  
Gaster could see that the pup wasn't being totally honest with him. He noticed how Pupamy's tail was pulled up between his legs, which was an indicator of fear among dogs. Gaster decided against pressing further on the matter, so he said:  
"I think you should give the notebooks to Sam and Piper yourself. I bet they'll be glad to see you."  
"You're sure about that..? I just don't want to bother…" - Pupamy asked nervously, rubbing the back of his head.  
"You won't. I think seeing a friend will do them some good right now."  
Pupamy was still reluctant about the idea to enter Gaster's house, but he guessed that he couldn't argue anyway. So, he entered the house, after what Gaster led him to the twins' room. Gaster knocked before entering the room. The kids looked up at him with curious looks. The skeleton said:  
"There's your friend who came pay you a visit."  
Pupamy then shyly showed up from behind Gaster's back, and the twins' faces lit up in pleasant surprise.  
"Pupamy!" - Piper smiled at him - "I'm glad to see you."  
"Hi, Pup. Nice to see you." - Sam said on his turn.  
"Hey guys…" - Pupamy replied shyly - "And Sam, don't call me 'Pup', please."  
"Should I call you 'Amy' then?" - Sam teased his friend.  
"No, that's even worse..! 'Cause I'm not a girl."  
"Anyway, what are you doing here?" - Piper asked curiously.  
"Well, you missed school today, so… I brought you here what we studied. So you can catch up." - Pupamy said, handing his notebooks.  
"Aw, you're so nice." - Piper smiled at him as she took the books from his hands.  
"He was about to just leave the notebooks on the threshold though." - Gaster remarked.  
This made the pup-boy tense a bit. He looked at his friends with an apologetic look on his face. The twins immediately got the problem.  
"Are you scared of our dad, Pupamy?" - Piper asked.  
"Ye-.. N-no..! I mean I..." - Pupamy looked at Gaster awkwardly, growing uncomfortable - "Maybe a little."  
"Why so? You should know I'm too smart to ever hurt one who nibbles what I'm made of." - Gaster replied, sounding all serious.  
Sam and Piper quickly got that he wasn't actually serious and that it was his subtle humor. As Pupamy realized that too, his eyes roundened and he asked with an amazed expression:  
"Wait... Did you actually just… _joke_?"  
"I might have." - Gaster replied - "Just don't tell anyone."  
"I... I won't, Dr Gaster." - Pupamy replied with a shy smile, some of his fear and tension leaving his body.  
Gaster then decided to give some time to the kids while he would go downstairs and prepare everything for the process to come. After all, he was planning to create a new SOUL for Asriel from Noelle's material. As he left the room, Pupamy asked his friends:  
"You don't really look sick, though. Why did you miss school?"  
"You're right, we're not sick." - Sam confirmed - "It's just that something really bad happened last night."  
And so, the twins explained the best they could to their friend what happened. When they finished, Pupamy was both shocked and amazed. He was surprised that the Dreemurr prince was resurrected and that he'd been living in the body of a flower for all those years. But he was also sorry to hear that Noelle was in a dead-like state. He wouldn't like this happen to his own mother, or his father.  
"I'm sorry about your mom. I hope Dr Gaster fixes her." - Pupamy said with a sad expression.  
"Yeah, we hope too..." - Sam replied a bit distantly.

Meanwhile, Asriel was lying in his bed in New Home. Toriel advised him to go sleep earlier, because he'd have to go through what resembled surgery the next day. Thus he'd better have his mind well rested. But Asriel couldn't fall asleep and thought that since he'd be under general anesthesia during the procedure anyway, it didn't really matter if he slept a lot or a few the night. So, he was reading the book he borrowed from Gaster. Its title was "On Little Cat Feet". Asriel and Noelle were both taken by the story. It talked about a world where A.I. was very developed, the people and robots cohabiting. The book was a lot about the relationship one could have with a robot, exploring the question of whether a robot is just a machine, or if it should be seen as something more, as an equal. Asriel was surprised to see that the book was written by a monster, who seemed to be very young judging by the photo on the back cover. He seemed to be around twenty. The author also had blue hair and a feline-like face, his big golden eyes unmistakingly being ones of a cat.  
_"__Something puzzles me though.__"_ \- Noelle remarked, interrupting Asriel's reading on the middle of a page - _"__If the world's 'sun' is nothing but a lightbulb, it provides light but not warmth. Wouldn't everyone in that world be frozen to death by now?__"_  
_"Really, Noelle? You, a person born from a human and a skeleton, question the possibility of a lightbulb to be the sun?"_ \- Asriel asked.  
_"__...Ugh, you're right. I guess I was just trying to distract myself.__"_ \- Noelle admitted.  
_"I know how you feel. I'm trying to not think about tomorrow too."_ \- Asriel replied, before confessing - _"I'm scared, Noelle."_  
_"__Me too, Asriel. Me too.__"_  
_"But why you'd be scared? Whatever happens during the procedure, you'll get your body back anyway."_  
_"__It's you I'm scared for.__"_ \- Noelle clarified.  
_"You really care..?"_ \- Asriel asked, before saying - _"I guess I shouldn't be surprised… But still, I'm the one who stole your life."_  
_"__Asriel, we said we would not talk about this anymore…__" _  
_"You're right. Sorry."_ \- Asriel then put the book aside and turned the night lamp off - _"Since thinking about tomorrow is unavoidable, sleeping is probably a good idea." _  
_"__Definitely.__"_ \- Noelle agreed - _"__I guess it's pointless to say 'good night', since we'll probably meet again soon in our sleep.__"_  
Asriel couldn't help but chuckle in response before lying in a more comfortable position. The next day would definitely be very eventful, no matter what outcome fate had in store. Asriel had been turning in his bed for a while until he could finally fall asleep.

The next morning, as Gaster was preparing everything for the upcoming procedure, Sam and Piper hesitantly entered the room, but didn't move from the doorframe. Gaster was busy at checking the state of the "foetus SOUL" he spent almost the entire evening and a part of the night to make. But when he finally noticed his children stand there, he said:  
"You can come closer, you know. Just as long as you don't touch anything."  
Sam and Piper approached their father, looking curiously at what he was doing.  
"So, um... what are you doing right now?" - Sam dared to ask.  
"I am checking that the early-staged SOUL is in its right condition to be implanted inside Asriel." - Gaster replied - "Luckily, it looks like it's in an excellent state. Otherwise, it would be needed to take some more of Noelle's SOUL essence and start everything over."  
"Glad you succeeded at your first try." - Piper commented.  
"Well, I am a genious after all. Did you expect any less from me?" - Gaster asked, making his daughter smile.  
"No, I knew you could do it." - the girl replied.  
"But how did you actually make this SOUL?" - Sam asked - "I guess Noelle's SOUL doesn't resemble any monster SOUL."  
"That's correct, her SOUL is nothing like any other one - wheter it's of a human or of a monster. But it's actually all about the amount of magic and determination. Human SOULs are mostly made of determination. Monster SOULs, on the other hand, are mainly made of magic, with a very small quantity of determination. Noelle's SOUL has an equal quantity of both. So, I had to rebalance the quantities within the sample to make it resemble a monster SOUL." - Gaster explained - "Alphys provided me a semi-organic, semi-artificial tissue to make the 'pocket', so to speak. Or the thin 'wall' that surrounds the substance."  
"You mean the part that has the heart shape?" - Piper asked.  
"Yes, you got it." - Gaster replied with a nod.  
The kids then stared at the very tiny white heart floating in some substance inside a glass tube. The thought that it was almost a living thing was incredible and fascinating.  
"It's so tiny…" - Piper remarked.  
"But Noelle will make it grow to the proper size." - Gaster replied.  
"How long will that take?" - Sam asked.  
"If my calculations are correct, a few hours. It could've been weeks, if I didn't get the idea to accelerate the process."  
"But how will you do that?" - Piper asked on her turn.  
"Since I had to separate the DT and magic particles, I have a tube full of pure DT here." - Gaster said, showing the tube full of red liquid to the kids - "I'll inject it back into Noelle's SOUL, to help her produce more magic to fill the fœtus SOUL."  
"And then, Asriel should be able to live on his own, right?" - Sam finished.  
"...If everything goes well, yes."  
"Oh, it maybe won't work, is that it?" - Sam asked with a disappointed look - "And what shall you do if it doesn't work?"  
"It has to work." - Gaster said seriously after a short pause.  
"Well, I think it will work." - Piper said confident - "You were able to create two living skeletons, after all."  
Gaster got a thoughtful expression. Not because he wanted to disagree, but rather because of what the words reminded him of. He knew that his illegal experiments were what shocked the twins and once created a distance between them. Gaster didn't want that his current scientific activity would put wrong ideas in the kids' minds.  
"I understand if you don't like what I'm doing now. To create an unnatural SOUL can be a shocking idea. And I know that you disapprove my past actions. So, I also understand if you don't really trust me. But-"  
"No, it's actually cool to see you do science." - Piper cut him off.  
"Really..?"  
"Yeah, it's interesting." - Sam added with a smile - "I'm watching you now and I'm literally just thinking: 'So, this is how he does it.'"  
"Well, methods can vary. As well as the content." - Gaster replied, internally pleased that he interested his son - "The delicate thing is to find the limits, to ask yourself if what you do is ethically right."  
"If it's... **how** right...?" - Piper frowned, not undrestanding the word.  
"On the moral level." - Gaster replied.  
"Well… Now you're trying to save both Asriel and Noelle, so you're doing the good science. And I like that." - Sam said with a smile.  
Gaster briefly returned the smile to his son before focusing on his task again. Piper's attention got meantime directed to her unconscious mother. Noelle's body was lying on the same bed, in the same position. It was like she was nothing more but a life-sized doll now. Yet at the same time, it looked like Noelle was just asleep. She looked no different from the usual, except maybe her skin being paler, having lost its pink shade that was a sign of life and health. Piper sat at the edge of the bed and took Noelle's hand in hers.  
"We'll see each other soon, Noelle... You'll see." - the girl said quietly.  
Sam had approached too, but didn't dare to say anything. Sentimentality wasn't his strong point, especially in a situation like this. Besides, he couldn't really express in words what he was feeling. The doorbell then suddenly rang, which meant that Asriel arrived. Gaster instructed the kids to go to their room and wait there until everything was over, after what he went to open the door. Asriel came with Asgore and Toriel. Even though the parents knew they couldn't stay during the procedure (since Gaster needed to fucus throughout the delicate task), they wanted to keep Asriel company until then to reassure him. Gaster suggested them to wait in the living room while he would do the last preparations.  
"Everything's going to be okay, Asriel." - Toriel said - "You'll come back home tonight and... and we'll finally live together like it was always meant to be…"  
"And always stay determined." - Asgore said his usual advice - "It helped Frisk, so it should help you too."  
"Frisk is much stronger than I am…" - Asriel lowered his head, but then added - "But I'll do my best. I'll try my hardest to return home tonight."  
His both parents nodded in response. At that moment, Gaster returned and informed that everything was ready.  
"Your Majesties... You know that you have to leave. Even though I hate to ask you that."  
"We understand perfectly, Gaster." - Asgore replied, before pulling his son into a tight hug - "Hold on, Asriel. Everything will be alright."  
"I'll be praying… My heart is with you, my child." - Toriel said on her turn, squeezing Asriel's hand tightly and holding back her tears.  
"Mom... Dad... I love you both so much..." - Asriel said as he could barely prevent his tears from falling - "And I'm sorry for ever making you suffer."  
After a moment, the parents finally let go of their son, although reluctantly. When they left the house, they couldn't help but look back several times. Gaster felt a huge responsability weigh on him, knowing that he had to do his best to save the prince. As Asriel laid down on another bed, he listened Gaster to explain what he was about to do.  
"I know, it would probably be less risky to let Noelle make your new SOUL grow naturally. But I'm afraid her family wants her back as soon as possible. I'm just trying to meet everyone's interests." - Gaster said with a serious and almost apologizing tone.  
"It's alright... I understand. Waiting months for Noelle to return would be way too hard for them." - Asriel replied.  
"I'm glad you understand. However, I want to say now that if it doesn't work… I'm sorry."  
Asriel just nodded in response. Gaster injected the anesthesia into Asriel's body and before he could put the oxygen mask over his face, the goat monster stopped him. Gaster looked at him questioningly, and Asriel said:  
"I have one final request for you. If it doesn't work and… if I'll turn back… into Flowey… can you please… just put an end to this?"  
"_Asriel... What are you saying..?_" - Noelle said in his head, clearly shocked.  
"You can't make me promise that." - Gaster shook his head - "You're literally asking me to... murder you."  
"If I'll turn into Flowey, I'll... I'll be gone anyway. And I don't want to live just to hurt the others… What kind of existence it is..? Flowey doesn't belong in this world. No one else would dare to get rid of him. So please, Gaster… if that happens, just finish me. Please… Promise me you'll do it."  
Gaster didn't know what he possibly could reply to this. He refused the idea that he'd have to kill the boy he saw growing up and who once called him "uncle". So, he just put the mask over Asriel's nose and mouth, before saying:  
"We won't have to come to this, Asriel. You'll live. Now, count to ten."  
Asriel was disappointed that Gaster refused to promise. But he started to count in his head and quickly enough, his mind was gone in the world of dreams. Gaster used blue magic on Noelle's SOUL to make it visible and make sure he didn't accidently inject the foetus SOUL inside hers. He then prepared the syringe with the fœtus SOUL inside before injecting it in Asriel's chest.

Asriel grabbed his chest, having sensed some change in his body. _"Gaster must've started..."_ \- he thought. He then looked around, looking for Noelle. She was nowhere in sight. So, Asriel started to walk in a random direction in hopes to find her.  
"Noelle..? Noelle..! Where are you..?" - he started to call her - "Please, respond..!"  
There was no response, which made Asriel panic. He really needed her right now, it was the most decisive moment of his life. Asriel needed her support, or just her company, to know that he was not alone in this. Without her, he'd have given up on all hope by now.  
"Noelle, please answer me..!" - he called once again, his tone shaking a little.  
Suddenly, he saw a pink light glow in the distance. Asriel rushed in the direction of that light and soon, he saw the familiar figure. Noelle was sitting, holding something shiny in her hands, while her own chest glowed in a pink light. She then looked up at him and said:  
"I found this lone SOUL here... I guess it's the one Gaster injected and that I'm supposed to protect."  
"Yeah, no doubts it is..." - Asriel reply with a sigh of relief - "I was worried when I didn't see you around. I feared you were gone."  
"Gone where exactly?" - Noelle asked - "Anyway, I think I'll trust you that tiny heart. It's supposed to become yours soon."  
Asriel reached to touch the tiny SOUL that suddenly flew straight into his chest. Asriel grabbed his chest once more, feeling some discomfort. Noelle stood up and looked into his eyes, as if asking if he was okay. The goat prince nodded in response.  
"So... what do we do now..?"  
"I don't know. We wait, I suppose." - Noelle shrugged - "We could just talk or walk around to search for some nice memories...?"  
"Can we just talk? I prefer to not explore any memories at all." - Asriel replied as he sat down, Noelle following him.  
"Okay... But Asriel… what you requested Gaster… I think you shouldn't have."  
"I should. Because I have enough of being Flowey. I have enough of the pain he… no, _I_ bring. I want this to be over, I don't want my parents, or Frisk, or you, or anybody else to suffer from my hands... or vines. So, I want to either live as Asriel, or not live at all. Death is better than a life as Flowey. I made up my mind."  
Noelle felt a single tear fall down her cheek. Normally she'd argue that _any_ life was better than death, but what did she know about Asriel's situation? She had no idea what it was like, so she guessed that he was the only one who could decide what end would be the best for him.

And so it was the start of a long procedure. After the injection of the foetus SOUL, Gaster had to wait until the vitals were stabilized before he could inject DT within Noelle's SOUL. The vitals did get all agitated for a short while after that too, but eventually Gaster could observe how the injected SOUL started to grow at a relatively quick rate. Everything seemed to go well so far. But Gaster knew that the most tricky part would be when he'd have to extract Noelle's SOUL. From there, he'd have no control over Asriel's fate. It would be all up for the chance. Asriel would either reject the new SOUL, or make it its own. So, Gaster spent hours to obvserve the growth of the white SOUL and regulate any small anomalies in the vitals he'd observe from time to time. He even barely ate. Not that he could leave the uncoscious Asriel for too long. Gaster would just drink water from time to time, with the exception of one cup of coffee at some point. His children never showed up, which was good. They knew it would be the worst moment to distract Gaster. After hours of observation, the SOUL finally reached the end of its formation. It reached the size required for a monster of Asriel's height and weight. _"It's time."_ \- Gaster thought as he magically summoned Noelle's SOUL out of Asriel's body - _"It's the moment of truth."_ The scientist prepared scissors to cut the magical link between Noelle's SOUL and the newly formed one.

"Ugh..!" - Noelle gasped as she suddenly felt weird.  
"Noelle, are you okay..?" - Asriel asked with concern.  
"I... I think I'm being ripped out..."  
It was true. Noelle's form was becoming transparent, progressively fading away. Alarmed, Asriel tried to hold into her but his arms went through her, touching only empty space.  
"No..! Noelle, don't go..! I'm not ready..!" - Asriel yelled with a panicked tone, tears forming in his eyes - "I'm scared... I need you now more than ever..!"  
"I'm sorry, Asriel... But we can't stay linked forever, you know that." - Noelle replied with a sorry tone - "You have to let go..."  
Soon after those words, Noelle faded away. This time, definitely. Asriel fell on his knees and started to cry.  
"Noelle...! I feel so lonely now… What will happen to me now..? I wasn't ready for this…"

Noelle slowly opened her eyes and saw that she was in an unknown room. She wanted to sit down, but she felt very weak so it was a difficult task. Gaster walked up to her and said:  
"Be careful..! You were reinserted in your body merely minutes ago. It might take some time for your coordination to-"  
"Dr Gaster..." - Noelle interrupted him - "Please tell me it's not a dream..."  
"It's not a dream, Noelle." - Gaster shook his head - "You really got your body back."  
Noelle felt tears in her eyes. She could barely believe it - she was fully alive again! Even though she was weak, she was finally in control of her body. She would live her own life again. Moved, Noelle then suddenly hugged Gaster very tightly, making him gasp in surprise. Noelle couldn't see it, but Gaster's eyesockets widened and his cheeks were tainted by a faint blush. Gaster was stunned, unsure of how to respond to the hug. He then heard light sniffing and so he guessed that Noelle started to cry.  
"Thank you... thank you so much, Gaster... thank you..." - she was saying, her words muffled by his labcoat.  
"You... you're welcome… Noelle." - Gaster replied.  
He then gently laid his hands over Noelle's shoulders and after a moment, he gently pulled her away. Noelle looked down, feeling a little embarrassed, and started to wipe away her tears with her palms. Gaster then handed her a glass of water and said:  
"You must be dehydrated after your experience. I advise you to drink a lot for the next few hours."  
"Thank you..." - Noelle replied before emptying her glass, then looked down with a remorseful look - "I just realized... I never got a chance to apologize for... you know, our argument about the kids."  
"You don't need to apologize. Your words held some truth. I don't deserve Sam and Piper's love like you do."  
"No..." - Noelle shook her head - "Love isn't about deserving. Because you don't choose who you love, you just do. And so, the twins love you, just like that. That's why I was wrong, Gaster. I behaved like an idiot."  
"We all do, at times." - Gaster replied with a soft tone.  
Noelle breathed out in relief, glad that there was no hard feelings between them. Then, the computers started to beep, indicating that Asriel's vitals were very unstable. Gaster rushed to Asriel and Noelle joined him at her rate. She looked at the scientist, with an unspoken question. What could be done. But Gaster's look replied that this was out of his power. This made Noelle's eyes widen in fear. Asriel couldn't just die now, could he? _"Not after everything he had to go through…"_

Asriel was sweating and groaning in pain. His chest hurt to the point it was almost unbearable. Then, he heard a too familiar voice echoing through the dark.  
"You're in pain because you still can't accept your true self. But once you do, it'll go away, I promise."  
"Flowey..." - Asriel breathed out - "You... you're not real... you're just in my head..!"  
"I surely am in your head. But I'm no less real!"  
"No... You don't really exist... you don't... You're just the darkest part of me, born out of my inner grudge… That's all what you are…"  
"Is that so..?" - the voice singsonged.  
Flowey then popped out from the invisible ground and winked characteristically at Asriel. It was the first time the two were seeing each other like they were seeing another person. It was as if two sides of one personnality were face to face for a confrontation.  
"Just look at what you became, Azzy." - Flowey commented - "Too fluffly, too sweet… too _powerless_."  
"I have the looks of a prince." - Asriel tried to sound confident - "And what about you? Just a flower, a _weed_ among thousands others."  
"Shut up! Can all weeds do this?!"  
Flowey used his multiple vines to trap and hold Asriel in place. Asriel tried to struggle but to no avail. Flowey laughed at his powerlessness and kept taunting him:  
"You're so pathetic, Asriel. Don't you see? That's why you turned to dust in the first place! That's why _you became me_."  
Asriel stopped struggling and looked into his evil counterpart's eyes. Flowey added with his signature maniacal grin:  
"Because you were nothing but a crybaby, a little boy shadowed by his human sister. That's all what you were. But with me, you became stronger. With me, you could survive. Without me, you're nothing. Admit the truth, Azzy. _**You need me**__._"  
"No... _No._" - Asriel said with a firm tone - "I _don't_ need you, Flowey. _And I never did._"  
Then, Asriel did something that he's never done before. He magically created a fireball and threw it straight at Flowey. The flower started to burn and shout in pain. The vines immediately released the prince, who stood proudly, never turning his gaze away from his enemy. As Flowey dissolved into nothingness, Asriel brought his hand to his chest, where his new SOUL was shining brightly.

Asriel opened his eyes and took a deep breath. The first thing he saw were the faces of Gaster and Noelle above him. The two were both shocked and relieved. Asriel brought his hand to touch his chest and smiled in relief. He could feel it... he had a SOUL inside him again. And he no longer was a flower! He would return home! For real and definitely..! And Noelle was alive and well too!  
"Asriel..? How do you feel..?" - Noelle asked in concern.  
"I... I feel great! I'm so happy... I'm happy! And I can feel it by myself!" - Asriel felt tears slide down his cheeks as he carefully sat down.  
"I'm so glad you made it, Asriel." - Noelle said with a smile.  
"Now that you're awake, the worst is behind you." - Gaster reassured the goat prince - "You'll need to regularily come here for the checkups though. Just to make sure your organism adapts well. But considering the current data, there shouldn't be problems."  
"Thank you... Uncle Gaster." - Asriel said, whiping away his tears.  
"You're welcome. But the most important part of the job was done by _you_." - Gaster replied.  
At that moment, the twins entered the room. Their eyes shone in amazement and had bright happy smiles. Noelle smiled at them and wordlessly hugged them. The twins returned the hug and after a moment, Noelle said:  
"Didn't I say that I'd always come back to you?"  
They stood there for a long moment before they finally pulled away. So the kids had the chance to praise Gaster for his accomplishement, who playfully boasted in return. Asriel got the opportunity to actually apologize for his nasty move, this time properly forgiven. And Noelle… she could finally return to her parents.

Some time later, Noelle knocked the door of her house. Papyrus was the one to open the door. His eyes lit up the very moment he saw Noelle being there.  
"NOELLE..! IS THAT REALLY YOU? MY EYES AREN'T PLAYING ME A TRICK?" - he asked asked as he felt happiness flow through his bones.  
"Don't worry, it's really me!"  
As soon as she said that, Papyrus pulled her in a tight hug and took her by surprise as he lifted her a bit.  
"I'M SO GLAD! I KNEW YOU'D BE ALRIGHT! I NEVER STOPPED BELIEVING!" - Papyrus shouted happily - "YOU PROMISE YOU WON'T EVER SCARE US LIKE THAT? PLEASE DON'T!"  
"I'll try my best..."  
Noelle burried her face into his red scarf that unsurprisingly smelled like spaghetti. This reminded her that she was very hungry. But she ignored it, since her hunger could wait. She hugged Papyrus very tightly, as though her life depended on it. When Noelle looked up at Papyrus, she saw that he was glowing green. She couldn't help but point that out, to which Papyrus replied with a smile:  
"WELL, IT'S BECAUSE I'M VERY HAPPY NOW! AND YOU'RE GLOWING GREEN TOO!"  
He was right, Noelle's eyes were glowing brightly in an emerald color. Noelle was surprised to hear that her eyes glowed, so she checked by looking at the mirror hanging near the door. She smiled to herself.  
"Heh, I guess I'm just as happy now..."  
"Noelle..?"  
Papyrus and Noelle looked up to see Frisk upstairs. She had a shocked expression, but it wasn't the bad kind of shock. Next thing Noelle knew, Frisk was down the stairs and hugged her on her turn. If before Noelle felt somewhat awkward or uncomfortable being hugged by her parents, she definitely wasn't now. Because the time she spent in Asriel's body made her realize how much she needed and cared for them. And she realized that she should be warmer to them.  
"You... You're not crying, are you..?" - she asked after a moment.  
"Wh-what? No, I... Alright, just a little, haha..." - Frisk wiped away her tear with a smile - "I just didn't expect you'd be back that soon."  
"Well, I am back, and I don't intend to leave. I'll stay here until you two kick me out of the house."  
"NEVER HAPPENING!" - Papyrus said - "SO YOU'RE STUCK HERE FOR A LONG WHILE, NYEHEHEH!"  
"By the way, what about Asriel..?" - Frisk asked - "Is he...?"  
"Don't worry about him. He's alive and he'll be alright." - Noelle reassured her.  
Then, Noelle's stomach growled, reminding her once more that she really needed to eat something soon. Gaster told her that she would feel very hungry after her experience. Her body and SOUL needed to get its strenght back, after all. Noelle would thus for the next couple of days have to not only rest, but also eat a lot and drink lots of water.  
"Okay, so can you tell what's for dinner? Because I'm as hungry as a wolf now." - Noelle asked awkwardly.  
"YOU REMINDED ME ABOUT MY SPAGHETTI..!" - Papyrus exclaimed with an alarmed expression.  
The skeleton turned around and was about to rush to the kitchen, but Noelle stopped him by pulling at his scarf. Papyrus looked at her questioningly, and so did Frisk.  
"Before you go, I really must tell you something important... When I was trapped inside Asriel, I realized how much you two mean to me. You've been so kind and loving, while I wasn't always very grateful."  
"IT'S ALRIGHT, NOELLE. I THINK YOU WERE GOOD."  
"And you needed time to adapt. So, your distance is understandable." - Frisk added reassuringly.  
"Anyway, I wanted to say that I plan to change that, because I..." - Noelle grew very shy - "I love you a lot... Mom... Dad..."  
Papyrus and Frisk's eyes widened in surprise, while Noelle looked down, looking timid. It was the first time she called them 'Mom' and 'Dad'. Moved, her parents hugged her once again, making Noelle blush harder, yet easing her nervousness. It took her a while to call her parents like she should, and she'd still have to get used to this, but it was definitely worth it. It was for moments like these that Noelle would stay determined to the end.

* * *

**A/N: Yes, it was the "OneShot" story Asriel and Noelle were reading! And yes, Niko is thus a monster who lives in their world. :D (Like, the young author wrote a book based on a "dream" he once had as a child.) What? Zarla does include monsters from other video games in her story! So why couldn't I do the same? **

**So, the next chapter shall conclude this arc and be a preview of the third one. Stay tuned, because it's coming later today! :)**


	35. Chapter 35

**And… here comes the final chapter of the second arc! I hope you'll enjoy! :D**

* * *

The next day after Asriel got his new SOUL, Asgore and Toriel decided to go pay Gaster a visit. Gaster was obviously happy to host the royal couple, who he saw almost like his parents for many years, but didn't really display that due to his past deeds and the knowledge of how much he disappointed them. So even though he kept his composure, Gaster was rather tense in the presence of Asgore and Toriel. The couple noticed that there was a subtle difference in his behaviour, but didn't point that out. As Gaster handed them cups of tea, Toriel said:  
"I don't think we'll ever thank you enough. You brought our son back among us. You gave him another chance of life."  
"Your accomplishement goes beyond anyone's expectations or craziest dreams." - Asgore pursued - "Asriel was gone for many years, and I still can barely believe he's back… Toriel and I are still trying to tell ourselves that it isn't just a dream."  
"I know that those words are nothing compared to what you did for us, but thank you, Gaster. Thank you from the very bottom of our hearts." - Toriel said with a very grateful and soft tone.  
"Your Majesties… You don't need to thank me for that. Prince Asriel was important to me too… and I didn't do that much regarding his current condition." - Gaster replied - "Most of the work was done by Noelle. It's her strong magic and determination that brought your son back."  
"We do have that in mind, Gaster. We've already thanked her." - Asgore replied - "But it's you who got the idea to create a new SOUL for Asriel and succeeded at it. So you deserve as much credit as does Noelle."  
"That's true, but…"  
"What's wrong, Gaster? You usually love to be praised for your scientific accomplishements." - Toriel remarked with concern.  
"You also seem a bit tense." - Asgore pointed out - "Tell me what's bothering you."  
"I... Nothing's wrong, Your Majesties…" - Gaster looked down at his own cup of tea - "It's just that… considering all the wrong I did to you, I don't deserve your friendly visit and gratitude."  
"Oh, stars… Of course you do!" - Asgore said with a frown - "You literally resurrected our son! Not many people - no one actually - can boast about such an accomplishement!"  
"It was __one__ good action." - Gaster said, his grip on his mug tightening - "It can in no way overweight everything else I've done to you and monsterkind."  
"It's not about balancing the good and bad deeds, Gaster." - Toriel said as she gently laid her hand over Gaster's forearm with the intent to loosen his tension - "You did something incredibly amazing and you deserve all our gratitude. You not only brought our son back, Gaster. You also showed us that you can be a good scientist and person."  
"She's right. You not only exceeded our expectations as a scientist, but as a man too. You proved that you can use your science to do the good. You did your best to meet everyone's interests, saving both our son __and__ our granddaughter." - Asgore went on - "And even if you wouldn't have succeeded to save Asriel, we would've still been grateful for trying. We would've been sad, but we'd still know that you did your best."  
"I... I don't know what to say…" - Gaster replied, looking a bit embarrassed.  
"Then just accept our thanks, Gaster." - Toriel smiled at him.  
"But you also need to learn to move on and forgive yourself." - Asgore added with a look of sympathy - "You understood your mistakes. So the next step is self-forgiveness."  
"Noelle told me the same thing…"  
"And she's absolutely right." - Asgore said with an approving nod - "You should listen to her more often, Gaster."  
Gaster felt embarrassed by the last sentence, but just a little. He knew that Asgore was right. Noelle was an incredible woman. She was so nice and forgiving to him, despite the fact he was directly responsible of her difficult orphan life and all the wrong he did to her during the De-Code. And, as much as Gaster was uncomfortable about it, Noelle also managed to make him open up a little, to speak up his feelings more freely. Most importantly, she helped him and his children to remain a family. Without Sam and Piper around, he would've died inside.  
"I guess you're right on this one… Noelle is a very, uh… cool person." - Gaster said with a light smile.  
"She definitely is. I think the more you talk with her, the more good it'll do to you." - Toriel replied.  
__"Noelle already did a lot to me…"__ \- the skeleton thought to himself - __"Much more than I'll ever deserve."__

Less than a week later, Gyftmas came. And to celebrate this holiday properly, Frisk and Papyrus invited Toriel, Asgore and Asriel. It would be the very first time that the Dreemurr family would reunit and celebrate Gyftmas together. It felt very good for everyone, but especially for Noelle and Asriel. They both had been all alone for many years, so it was nice to have a family to celebrate with. Before the party, Noelle had been helping her parents to decorate the tree. It was one of her childhood dreams coming true. While decorating, her parents were telling her amusing stories from her past she could no way remember. Some of them made her feel awkward, while Papyrus and Frisk found those endearing.  
"Are you serious..? I got tangled in wreaths? No way…"  
"It's true! You seemingly wanted to help us decorating the house, but you were so small and the wreaths so long. It didn't take long for you to get trapped in those!" - Frisk told with a small giggle.  
"AND YOU WERE SQUIRMING A LOT! YOU LOOKED LIKE SOME VERY FLUFFY AND SHINY COCOON!" - Papyrus added with an amused tone and expression - "OF COURSE, WE QUICKLY CAME TO YOUR RESCUE, BUT YOU WERE SOOO ADORABLE!"  
"heh, i think alphys still has the pictures in her computer." - Sans remarked, as he was lying on the couch - "i'll ask her to send it to you."  
"No, I'm not interested to see..!" - Noelle exclaimed, all flustered.  
"OH, BUT WHY NOT? YOU LOOKED VERY CUTE!"  
"It's more like I looked very dumb." - Noelle covered her face with her hand - "How old was I..?"  
"You were almost two years old." - Frisk answered.  
After saying this, she and Papyrus exchanged a mysterious look together. Noelle noticed, but was too embarrassed to care about that. The tree was almost finished and all was left to do was to put the star on the top. Papyrus then handed the golden star with silver and red sparkles to Noelle, saying:  
"I LET YOU THE HONOR!"  
Noelle smiled and so went up the stairs (the tree was pretty high) and from there, she put the star on. When she descended, she, her parents and Sans admired the beautifully decorated tree for a moment.  
"It's the best Gyftmas tree ever…" - Noelle breathed out with shining eyes.  
"we did a good job on this, right?" - Sans said on his turn.  
"YOU BARELY HELPED, SANS!" - Papyrus remarked with an annoyed tone - "YOU SPENT MOST OF THE TIME NAPPING ON THE COUCH!"  
"but i was still mentally supporting you guys."  
"Pfft... It's just a tree, Sans. What 'support' is even necessary..?" - Frisk replied amused.  
"well, what else can you expect from a lazybones like me?" - Sans asked with a wink.  
"NOTHING AND IT'S ALRIGHT. WE LOVE YOU THE WAY YOU ARE, BROTHER." - Papyrus said with a much softer expression.  
"hehe, glad to hear pap."  
"Anyway, I think everything's ready..!" - Noelle said enthousiastically as she looked around.  
The family spent most of the previous day to decorate all the house. They've put wreaths beneath the ceiling, hung decorative snowflakes on the walls and windows, and placed candles on the furniture. Papyrus even found a moment when Noelle wasn't looking to surprise her by placing a mini-gyftmas tree in her room! The sight of the festive house made Noelle's heart warm. She couldn't remember when was the last time she ever properly celebrated Christmas in the other world. But it didn't matter, because from now on, she could collect many good memories of holidays. Seeing how pensive she was, Sans asked his niece:  
"you okay, kid?"  
"Oh I sure am, Sans." - Noelle replied with a smile - "I've never felt that good in a long time."  
"glad to hear." - Sans' permanent smile turned into a real one - "i honestly feel the best in a while too."  
It was a couple of hours later that the goatfamily arrived at their place. Toriel of course couldn't come without bringing her two specialities - the butterscotch pie and the snail pie. This way, everyone was pleased. Asgore had for task to look after the presents until the right moment came. Asriel had no task regarding the celebration, which was understandable. There were yet so many things he'd have to learn. As he looked around, a detail caught his attention.  
"Uh... Is it normal the candles aren't lit up?" - the goat-prince asked.  
"Oh right, the candles..! I didn't want to light them up too soon." - Frisk replied - "Now, I just have to find the lighter…"  
"No, let me take care of this." - Asriel said with a smile.  
Frisk looked at him curiously as Asriel approached the line of candles on the cabinet. Then, he created a tiny fireball that he carefully placed on the tip of a candle. He repeated the process several times until every single candle was lit up.  
"Amazing..." - Frisk breathed out - "I didn't know you controlled fire already?"  
"Well... Mom and Dad have been teaching me…"  
"He is a very quick learner." - Toriel said as she wrapped her arm around her son - "I must say I'm surprised. I thought it would take him longer, but it seems like he's a very talented young man!"  
"I'm just doing my best, hehe." - Asriel said humbly.  
It wasn't long after the Dreemurrs arrival that came Sam and Piper. The twins were obviously invited so they could celebrate Gyftmas with their mom. But the kids also couldn't leave their father alone for the entire evening, so they would leave Noelle's house sooner. It was a good compromise, and Sam and Piper found that spending a couple of hours with Noelle was more than enough.  
"Hi kids!" - Noelle hugged the twins to greet them - "I'm so glad you came! Even if it's not for the entire evening."  
"We're glad too." - Sam replied - "It's our first Gyftmas together! Do you realize?"  
"Yeah, it feels funny, huh?" - Noelle said with a smile.  
"And we even got a present for you!" - Piper said as she showed a medium package wrapped in a blue paper.  
"Oh, can't wait to know what it is." - Noelle replied, ruffling the kids' hair - "You're so nice."  
At that moment, Frisk walked up to her daughter and requested her some assistance in the kitchen, because Asriel messed up with the whipped cream in an attempt to be useful. Noelle chuckled at the mental image and when she entered the kitchen, it looked as hilarious as she pictured it. There were trails of cream on the kitchen counter and a few drops of it on the walls. But most importantly, Asriel had his muzzle and ears covered in cream. There was even some on his clothes.  
"Oh my gosh, what happened..?" - Noelle asked as she tried to suppress her laughter.  
"I don't know..! The flask just exploded!" - Asriel replied.  
"You just didn't use it right, Asriel." - Frisk commented, then instructed Noelle - "Okay, could you please clean the mess while I fix the cake? And make sure his hairs don't fall in the food."  
"Sure, Mom." - Noelle replied as she wet a cloth and proceeded to wipe the cream away from the clothes - "And why did you even get involved in the cake decorating? You're a guest!"  
"Yeah, but I really wanted to help with something." - Asriel replied, wiping the cream from his face - "You both did so much for me… so helping with the cake was the least I could do."  
"Aw, but you didn't have to." - Frisk said as she put her hand on Asriel's shoulder - "We're family, you don't owe us anything."  
"Maybe, but still... Frisk, do you realize that you were the one who brought me back to my senses when I was in my 'God of Hyperdeath' delirium? And even years later, you didn't give up on me. You told me to hold on, and so I did. And I'll be forever grateful for that. You're the best friend I ever had, Frisk."  
Frisk just smiled and hugged her goat-brother in response.  
"And what about me? I believe I was as much supportive..." - Noelle pouted playfully.  
"Don't worry, I didn't forget about you." - Asriel replied - "You are the best niece I ever had!"  
"I'm the __only__ niece you have!"  
"Haha, true… But I meant that you're great too..!"  
And so, the three could finish the cake before putting it in the fridge for the time being. The three returned to the living room, where they found Asgore and Toriel chatting with Sam and Piper on the couch.  
"Where are Dad and Sans?" - Noelle asked curiously.  
"Papyrus went to dress Sans up, to make him... 'more presentable' for the evening." - Asgore replied with an amused expression.  
Frisk and Asriel chuckled in amusement at this and Noelle guessed that her father probably had a point. It didn't take long for the two skeleton brothers come return. And from that moment, the family had a great evening. They chatted, laughed, told each other good and funny stories. They of course ate a lot and well. Asriel, after long pestering, even managed to make Noelle taste the snails. Noelle did it reluctantly, just so Asriel would leave her alone, taking a tinsy-bitsy bite. She then declared that snails "weren't that bad", but still not her thing. Toriel remarked that Noelle had her mother's tastes, since she never could make Frisk like snail pie either. When the time for dessert came, the family decided to exchange presents. It was another very enjoyable moment. After thankng her parents for their presents, Noelle then turned to the twins and said with a smile:  
"I believe you two have something for me. Can I see now?"  
"Yes, here it is." - Sam handed the box to Noelle.  
The twins then exchanged a nervous look as Noelle was unwrapping the present. When Noelle opened it, she saw that it was a mug. And a cute one! It was pale pink with many tiny red hearts. Then, as Noelle took it in her hand and turned it around… she let out a small surprised gasp. The word "Mommy" was written in pretty letters. As Noelle looked at the kids, Piper asked shyly:  
"So... Can we call you 'Mom' from now on? Please?"  
"But if you don't like this, it's okay, we... we'll keep calling you by your name." - Sam added.  
"Oh, but I'll only be happy to be called 'Mom'!" - Noelle teared up, then hugged the twins.  
Asgore, Toriel, Frisk, Papyrus, Sans and Asriel exchanged looks, the scene between Noelle and her children being so heartwarming. After Noelle pulled away, she said:  
"I hope your father will take it well."  
"Oh, he already did." - Piper reassured her with a smile.  
"Yeah. Who do you think gave us the money and wrapped our gift?" - Sam pointed out.  
"Right, haha. Well, I'm glad that he took it well." - Noelle said, then glanced at the clock and remarked - "Speaking of him, I think it's time for you to go back to your home."  
"Aw, time really fled fast..!" - Piper pouted a little.  
"And we didn't get to eat more of the dessert." - Sam added, making the adults chuckle.  
"Didn't you eat enough?" - Noelle asked with amusement - "You asked for more for almost every dish!"  
"there's nothing wrong with that." - Sans said with a shrug.  
"OF COURSE YOU'D SAY THAT! YOU'RE SUCH AN EATER!" - Papyrus remarked, but without actual annoyance.  
"They're growing children. It's normal to be often hungry at this stage." - Frisk said with a smile - "Besides, it's Gyftmas! It's _**_the_**_ time of the year when you feast."  
"Don't upset your stomaches, though." - Noelle advised to the kids - "Alright, should I walk you back to your home or you're okay by yourselves?"  
"It's okay, we can make it." - Sam replied - "It's not very far, after all."  
"I guess it's not. Have a good rest of the evening, kids." - Noelle said.  
"You too, Mom." - Piper replied.  
Noelle smiled at how she called her. So, the kids proceeded to say goodbye to everyone, giving them all tight hugs.  
"Bye, Sans." - Sam said as he hugged the lazy skeleton - "Merry Gyftmas and try to be happy from now."  
"i'll try my best, kid." - Sans replied.  
"Good evening Papyrus and Merry Gyftmas." - Piper said as she was hugging him.  
"MERRY GYFTMAS TO YOU TOO, PIPER." - Papyrus replied as she held her tightly to his chest, before whispering so Sans wouldn't hear - "BE VERY NICE TO YOUR FATHER. I KNOW HE REALLY NEEDS IT."  
Piper just nodded in response. Frisk then hugged the kids on her turn and said:  
"Merry Gyftmas, children. May this day give you all the determination you'll need."  
"Hehe, we'll try our best to get it." - Sam replied.  
"I think I can already feel it..!" - Piper said on her turn.  
Frisk gave them a smile before allowing Asriel to hug them on his turn. He then ruffled their hair as he wished them a merry Gyftmas.  
"Have a merry Gyftmas too, Asriel." - Sam said - "I hope things will be cool between us."  
"Sure, everything's cool." - the goat prince replied with a nod.  
Asgore and Toriel then said goodbye to the kids too and before they would go, Toriel handed them a big but soft package.  
"Give it to Gaster." - she instructed them.  
"And wish them a Merry Gyftmas from us." - Asgore added.  
The kids nodded, after what they headed to the door. Before leaving the house though, they turned around to say goodbye to their mother one last time.  
"Good evening and Merry Gyftmas, Mom!"  
"You too... my children."  
And so, the kids left. They walked across snowy streets illuminated by all the gyftmas lights that decorated the houses. They quickly reached their house and entered without bothering to knock, as the door was left open for them. They saw Gaster napping on the couch with a book on his lap. But he wasn't too far gone, since he woke up as soon as he heard their steps.  
"Hi Dad. You weren't too bored here alone, were you?" - Piper asked with concern.  
"No, it's alright. I'm pretty used to lone nights." - Gaster replied - "Did you have a good time?"  
"Yup, a very good time. And we ate so many tasty things!" - Sam replied.  
"So I assume you won't eat your favourite dessert I made for you?"  
"Yes! We will, we will!" - the kids yelled simultanuously.  
"Haha, okay let's move to the kitchen then." - Gaster said with an amused tone.  
The kids' eyes shone when they saw the Black Forest cake on the table. Gaster proceeded to make them cocoa, while the kids helped by putting dessert dishes on the table. A minute later, as they were eating, the twins remembered about Toriel's gift for Gaster.  
"Here, it's a gift from Toriel for you." - Sam handed the package to his father.  
"Oh... I didn't expect her to give me anything..." - Gaster said with a surprised expression - "But I guess I probably should have…?"  
Gaster put his mug and dish aside as he proceeded to unwrap the gift. It was a thick warm white sweater with a huge blue heart on the front. Toriel obviously knitted it herself. __"It's very in her spirit…"__ \- Gaster thought, then noticed there was also a card. As he read it, he couldn't believe his eyes.

__May this be a reminder of how big your heart actually is.  
Merry Gyftmas, Gaster.  
\- Toriel.__

"Dad, are you alright? You look strange." - Sam asked with a frown.  
"Yes, I... I'm alright. I'm just…"  
Gaster then hugged the kids. They looked at him with concern. Was he upset? Did something make him sad? But their worries got quickly washed away when Gaster said:  
"I'm just so very lucky to have you... Have you not been there, I would still be lost on my path to darkness."  
"We love you too, Dad." - Piper said as she returned the hug.  
"And we're glad to have you as our father." - Sam said.  
Gaster just tightened the embrace, feeling moved. Why has fate been so lenient to him? It was a true mystery. And it was the only one that Gaster didn't mind to never be solved. After they finished the dessert, the father and his children then moved back to the couch, just enjoying the calm mood, until they drifted to sleep. All the three were at peace.

Two days later, Noelle woke up at almost 11 am. She was a bit tired after a two-days previous day, she had decided to be the one in charge of dinner. Cooking just for herself was one thing, but it surely was a different one to cook for four persons. Especially that Sans had a wolf appetite. After dressing up and washing herself, she descended the stairs with a tired expression. When she entered the kitchen, she saw something surprising. On the small table, there was a pile of six pancakes covered by a generous amount of salted-butter caramel (just how she __loved__ it!) and with a... small candle on the very top.  
"Huh..?"  
She looked up curiously at her parents, who were standing there staring at her with smiles on their faces.  
"Happy Birthday, Noelle!" - Frisk said with a smile.  
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY LITTLE GIRL!" - Papyrus said on his turn - "SORRY IF THERE'S JUST ONE CANDLE. THERE'S JUST NOT ENOUGH ROOM FOR TWENTY-SIX OF THOSE..."  
"What are you talking about..? It's not my birthday yet..." - Noelle replied with a light frown.  
"Uh... isn't it? I assure you today's your birthday. Trust me, I wouldn't forget the day I gave birth to you..!" - Frisk said with a chuckle.  
Then, realization hit Noelle. Of course! How could she be so dumb? The date she used as a birthday was the day she was found in the other world, since there was no way she could know when she was born!  
"Oh my God... So, it's true? Today's really my birthday..?" - Noelle's eyes got filled with different emotions - "W-wow...! I finally know when my birthday is! And… it's right after Gyftmas!"  
She then hugged her parents a bit too exctasically, almost making them lose their balance. When she pulled away, she said with a smile:  
"Thank you, thank you, thank you! Mom, Dad, you're amazing! You just made my morning!"  
"NYEHEHE, WE ONLY WISHED YOU A HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LIKE ANY GOOD PARENT WOULD!" - Papyrus replied.  
"Trust me, you did much more than that... After years wishing it to myself and doing it at the wrong date, this means a big deal." - Noelle explained with a soft expression.  
"Well, from now on, this is the day you'll get cards, wishes, cakes, presents from everyone." - Frisk said - "Now, make a wish Noelle."  
Noelle sat down and stared at the pile of pancakes for a moment. Just one year ago, she's been alone on her birthday. So now, she knew exactly what she wished for. Noelle closed her eyes and thought: __"I wish my family and I can be happy forever."__ Then, she blew the candle. Frisk removed it and as Noelle started to eat her breakfast, Papyrus asked curiously:  
"WHAT DID YOU WISH FOR?"  
"That's not how birthday wishes work, silly!" - Noelle giggled - "If I tell you now, it won't come true!"  
As Noelle took another bite, she thought that it just had to come true. She also promised to herself that if fate wouldn't be generous, she would work very hard herself to make everyone happy.

****Six months later...****

It was a dark summer night. Everyone and everything was asleep. Even the majestuous throne room of the King and Queen of monsters was just a calm place. The golden flowers growing there were closed, no noise could be heard. Until… some movement happened. It was an unnatural kind of movement. It looked like something glitched through the fabric of space and time. The glitches repeated themselves at the same spot for a while, growing more and more frantic, until it ceased and revealing a person who wasn't there before. It was a young woman, wearing outworn clothes. Her brown pants barely covered her knees, and her green striped shirt was a bit tight at the chest level, revealing a bit of her belly and the sleeves coming just to the elbows. The long brown hair covered most of the person's face until she raised her head. Moving a strand of hair aside, the bright red flash could be seen in the eyes. She smiled creepily, looking at the knife she was holding in her right hand. Chara was back home.

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**A/N: And here comes the end of arc 2! I must warn you: arc 3 is going to be darker than the first two. Until now, there wasn't really a villain in the story. But in the third arc, I borrowed the "OUAT" spirit, that is an actual clash of good and evil! Just please, I beg you, don't start with "Chara's not evil, why should she be the bad guy?" I remind you that there's no "player" in this story. And... just wait and see. Okay? Can you trust me? Chara has deeper reasons to be evil than just wanting power or destroy the universe. The story shall explore what's on her mind. That's all I can say about her for now. ****You also may be sceptical about her return, same thing. Be patient. There is an explanation of how she could return, where exactly she comes from. It will be properly explained at the early stage of arc 3.**

**Oh, and when Noelle blows the candle, it's a direct reference to "Once Upon A Time", when Emma Swan blows the candle in the pilot episode. ^^**

**Before pursuing the updating of this story, I shall first upload all the prequel one-shots that I have. Once done, I'll resume updating this story. I shall add that the third arc will have like three interweaved subplots. It won't be just about Chara, but it'll also be a chance for a deeper developement for Gaster's character, notably his relationship with Sam and Piper. I hope you'll enjoy the third arc. See ya soon!**


	36. Chapter 36

**Hello guys! Let's get started for the third and final arc! Are you ready? You better be, because things shall take darker turn very quickly! But I hope you'll like and enjoy it. **

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Chara looked around her. The throne room… the place where everything ended. She could clearly remember how she stabbed King Asgore, her father, wihout second thoughts. After the king turned to a pile of dust, Flowey showed up, destroying the SOUL. Chara recalled how the flower was trying to reason her, begging to not kill him. He spoke to her with his Asriel voice, but it didn't affect Chara a little bit. She stabbed him over and over, until nothing was left of her __pathetic brother__. It was that day that she gained all the power she had now. The memories were pretty clear, even though it all happened thirteen years ago. Yet, it wasn't like time meant something in the place where she had been. There was nothing but __void__ where the world was supposed to be. __"And yet, here I am now…"__ \- Chara thought - __"A world full of possibilities. A new timeline to explore… I can't wait."__ Chara grinned shortly at the thought. In the "place" where she was, with the gained power from the destruction of her world, she could observe a neighbour timeline. Similar to hers, yet with a very different outcome. A timeline where Frisk decided to be a hero instead of a murderer. And now, she and all the monsters lived happily on the Surface. Including her crybaby brother, Asriel. __"No, I can't allow that… not after what I've been forced to do."__ \- Chara thought darkly, as her red eyes twinkled again - __"I can't allow that brat to be happy; she's the one who took away everything from me."__ Chara raised her knife at the level of her face and looked at her reflection. __"And my brother… he's a dirty traitor. Such a hypocrite…"__ \- Chara's mind went on as her face turned into one of anger - __"Frisk… Asriel… Everyone… They will pay for their betrayal."__ Chara then smiled widely and creepily - __"I will make them suffer."__ And so, she turned around and went in the direction of New Home, that once was her home too. Chara walked around the house quietly. It didn't take great effort, considering that when she was a child, she'd sneak around the house to steal some chocolate from the kitchen in the middle of the night. Chara approached the door of the bedroom she once slept in. She knelt down and looked through the keyhole. She could see a form lying on Asriel's bed. It was Asriel himself, obviously. Even with a reduced sight, Chara could tell how much he grew up. The other bed, that once was hers, was empty. Chara quietly pulled away and walked to the living room. She looked behind a painting and found Asgore's "secret" safe. Everyone in the family actually knew about it, so Chara still coundn't understand why Asgore would even hide his money there. __"The Dreemurrs always had their oddities…"__ \- Chara mentally remarked, rolling her eyes. She then smirked, clearly remembering the code. It was an easy one, actually - the date when she fell in the Underground. "1509" Chara entered the four numbers and the safe opened. __"Pff... even after all these years, he still didn't think about changing the code."__ It didn't take long to find what she was looking for. Asgore wouldn't notice the disappearance of 200 g, right? Chara just needed some money to buy herself new clothes. She had outgrown her current clothes years ago; it was now too small. She wasn't even wearing shoes, considering that her childhood shoes became too tight. __"I'll also have to pass by the hairdresser…"__ \- Chara noted looking at her too long hair now. Her hair no longer was shoulder-length, it now almost reaching her butt. It would've been longer if Chara didn't regularily inaccurately cut it with her knife. __"Once I take care of my appearance, my vengeance shall begin."__ \- she thought with a grin, before closing the safe.

The next day was a rainy one. There weren't many people seen outside. Just three persons were slowly walking in the park under their umbrellas, a father and his two children. Things had changed for Gaster in the last few months. In fact, after Asriel's return had been let known, Asgore and Toriel fought for a lessening of Gaster's sentence. The royal couple was too grateful to Gaster for his contribution to their son's resurrection, so they absolutely wanted to improve his life. After all, bringing back the prince of monsters wasn't a small thing. After long discussions, the human rulers decided that there would be no harm in lessening Gaster's sentence, considering that he's been behaving well since his setting to home arrest. And so, it's been about a month now that Gaster was free to go outside of his house at certain hours of the day. The advantage was that he could shop singlehandedly. The cameras hadn't been removed, since Gaster was still submitted to supervision. But it was more than enough for the skeleton, because that way he could have walks with Sam and Piper. That day was one of those. Gaster smiled as he closed his eyes and breathed in the smell of the wet atmosphere. He couldn't describe in words how he loved the rain, nor how happy he was to experience a walk in the rain again after a very long time. And the fact that Sam and Piper were with him this time… made the experience even better.  
"You look very content, huh Dad?" - Sam pulled him out of his thoughts.  
"Why, of course I am!" - Gaster replied - "Rain always soothed me and thus it became my favourite weather. I thought I'd never have a walk under it again after I got senteced to electronic supervision. But now, it's like a dream coming true."  
"Heh, glad you're happy now." - Sam said with a smile - "Oh look! Are those Froggits over there?"  
The family looked in the direction where Sam pointed out. There were indeed Froggits a bit further. They were jumping their way, without even bothering to avoid the puddles, making big splashes.  
"Well, they are like regular frogs." - Gaster remarked - "They love jump in the water."  
"It's true that it has its fun!" - Sam said and, seeing a puddle nearby ran and jumped straight in its middle.  
"Hey, be careful Sam!" - Piper almost whined - "You're splashing on my skirt and favourite boots!"  
"Oh, come on Piper, it's just water!" - Sam replied and jumed at the same spot again.  
"Stop it! You'll make my outfit dirty!" - Piper cried out again.  
"Sam, behave yourself." - Gaster requested, but not without a chuckle.  
Sam grinned at his father, then left the puddle to return on the firm ground. Gaster looked down at his daughter and saw that she was pouting a bit. He grinned in amusement, then said:  
"Oh, don't make that face, Piper. I'll help you clean your boots if you want."  
"Thanks Dad." - Piper finally smiled - "You two like the rain, but I prefer the sun."  
"Hmm? And why's that?" - Gaster asked curiously.  
"Well… It's because when the day's sunny, the colors look so bright and beautiful, and you can hear birds sing, and you can do things you can't do when it rains, like… have fun on the swings! I don't know, the mood becomes just so joyful!" - Piper explained her reasons with a childish passion.  
"Each their own, I suppose." - Gaster chuckled - "But I can see where you're coming from. You always loved bright colors. It must be related to your love of drawing."  
"Probably. But I guess there's a good thing in rain." - Piper grinned - "I can show off my Mew Mew umbrella!"  
"I don't like carry umbrellas, it's annoying." - Sam commented - "I prefer just put my hood on."  
"You should use yours more often, though. Getting wet by the rain is an easy way to catch a nasty cold." - Gaster said seriously - "I'm glad you took it today though."  
Sam's umbrella was lesh flashy than his sister's, being blue with a motif of sea waves.  
"Well, I didn't want to get sick right before going on a vacation." - Sam replied, then grinned - "So I thought disobeying you for the fun of it wasn't worth it this time."  
"Oh you...!"  
Piper couldn't help but giggle at this. Sam would sometimes tease his father like this, which in her opinion was cute. Gaster, on the other hand, learned in the past few months to be less strict and not take everything too seriously. Which had as consequence that he'd say and take more things in good humor. It was a result of finally being more relaxed, and not constantly stressed out about hiding things from the twins (or other people). Soon, the family started to head back home and Piper then asked:  
"Are you going be okay while we'll be gone?"  
In fact, the next day the twins would be gone on a vacation to the beach with their mother Noelle, Frisk, Papyrus, Sans and Asriel. They would be gone for a week, and this would be the time Gaster would be alone.  
"Don't worry about me, I'll be alright." - Gaster reassured her - "I'm pretty used to loneliness."  
Gaster wasn't completely honest. It was true that loneliness was something he knew too well, but he half-lied by saying he'd be "alright". He wasn't used for his children be away for that long. And he wondered what he would do when they wouldn't be around. Back during the De-Code, Gaster took the twins' presence for granted and thus didn't cherish the moments as much as he should have. But now, he had to accept the fact they weren't just "his", which he did. The thought of the twins going away and having fun for an entire week without him just saddened him a little. __"But at least, they're not confined in our house. They deserve to live their lives outside, go see places…"__ \- Gaster mused - __"As long as they're happy, I'm glad for them."__ It was with that thought that they arrived back home.

The next day, Sam and Piper went on their family trip with their mother, grandparents and great-uncles. The trip had been planned two months ago, the family thought it would be a good way to have a good time all together. Who didn't love trips to the sea? Well, Asriel was a bit reluctant at first. In fact, his parents had been insisting on the importance to go out and see actual people more often. Asgore and Toriel didn't like the fact that Asriel was confining himself in their house. It was probably because Asriel didn't want to leave his zone of comfort, after everything that happened to him between his death and resurrection. But it wasn't a very healthy thing to do, especially not for a prince. And so, when Frisk mentioned her and Papyrus' plan to go on a trip with Noelle and the twins, Toriel immediately suggested to take Asriel along. Frisk was more enthousiastic about the idea than her goat-brother was. Now, Asriel wasn't that negative about it, but he was still a bit tense. Those things took time, after all. The trip to the beach took about an hour and a half or so. They used Asgore's seven seats car that he gladly lended, considering he wouldn't need it during the few days to come. And of course, to keep on the "good mood", Sans couldn't help but tell his punny jokes.  
"kids, why are skulls always single?" - Sans asked the twins.  
"OH FOR GOD'S SAKE…" - Papyrus whined in annoyance.  
"Why?" - Sam asked with a grin.  
"'cause they have **_**no body**_**!" - Sans replied with a wink.  
"Haha, good one Sans!" - Sam approved.  
Piper giggled a little too, while Noelle rolled her eyes (though a shadow of a smile was visible on her face).  
"PLEASE DON'T ENCOURAGE HIM, SAM!" - Papyrus begged his grandson.  
"aw, but i had another cool one, pap! the kids will like it." - Sans said - "hey, do you know why skeletons make bad miners?"  
"Hmm... I don't know. Why?" - Piper asked.  
"because they only go..." - Sans started, then paused dramatically.  
"Oh gosh, I know where this is going..." - Frisk shook her head.  
"PLEASE, DON'T FINISH IT!" - Papyrus said with annoyance.  
"...six feet underground!" - Sans finished with a proud expression.  
"ARGH!"  
"come on pap, i just wanna entertain the kids."  
"Exactly. Sans was just _**_kid_**_-ding!" - Sam added, making his great-uncle's eyes shine.  
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO THE BOY, SANS! THREE COMEDIANS IN THE FAMILY'S TOO MUCH!" - Papyrus exclaimed dramatically.  
"I understand your suffering, Papyrus…" - Asriel remarked, since he had to go through his mother's jokes often.  
"Maybe you shouldn't annoy your brother with puns now. He's driving." - Frisk said with concern.  
"aw, but there's still plenty of them i wanted to tell." - Sans replied with disappointement.  
"You can save it for later." - Noelle said - "Mom's right, it's dangerous to distract Dad with puns when we're on the freeway."  
"but... but i didn't even do the knock-knock jokes yet…"  
"Okay, here's the deal. I will tell you a pun and you save your jokes for when we arrive?" - Noelle suggested.  
"i'm all ears, noelle! even though i don't have those." - Sans replied with a wink.  
Papyrus groaned a bit at this, but decided it wasn't worthy his remarks. He had to focus on the road. Noelle had a pun in mind, but she didn't want the twins to hear it. Or they'd ask her uncomfortable questions. Noelle leaned a bit forward, so the kids wouldn't hear her. She asked Sans quietly:  
"What kind of contract provides you the best protection?"  
"hmm..." - Sans mused for a moment, then said - "beats me."  
"A _**_contract_**_-ceptive." - Noelle replied, before sitting back down on her seat.  
Asriel and Frisk, who heard the joke, exchanged a look. Sans' eyesockets turned dark for a moment and sweat formed on his skull. Then, Sans let out a chuckle, that quickly escalated into a laughter. The skeleton laughed to the point he got small tears in the corners of his eyesockets. Papyrus eyed his wife, who had an amused smile on her face.  
"FRISK, WHAT DID NOELLE TELL SANS?" - he asked her, since he didn't hear the joke.  
"I'll tell you later, Papyrus." - Frisk promised.  
"hahaha, that was a very good one, noelle...! excellent even..." - Sans said tiredly when his laughter finally faded - "now this made me all sleepy. i'll take a nap."  
"THAT'S NOT A TOO BAD IDEA, SANS."  
"ok, wake me up when we arrive."  
It took just a few moments for Sans to plunge into a slumber. Sam and Piper exchanged an annoyed look, not liking that Noelle didn't tell the joke loudly enough. When Sam asked Noelle why, she simply replied that the joke was too complicated for a young child to understand. The twins exchanged a look, and guessed that they had to "grow a bit older".  
The rest of the journey went rather calmly, yet the excitement to reach the destination was present. And when they reached the beach, the family was welcomed by a warm bright sun. It was an excellent weather to start the holiday. Later, after they left their bags in the hotel room they leased, they went to the beach. Papyrus couldn't help but smile when he saw Frisk put on her favourite summer dress. Frisk noticed and remarked:  
"It's not the first time I put that dress on, and yet it still has the same effect on you."  
"I JUST LOVE WHEN YOU WEAR A DRESS, HUMAN WIFE." - Papyrus replied then pulled her closer by wrapping his arms around her waist - "YOU LOOK SO LOVELY..."  
Frisk giggled at this. She recalled the day they both went on a date at the beach for the first time. It was also the first time Papyrus saw hear wear a dress, since she usually wore a shirt and jeans. And he had that same look of wonder on his face. Frisk stood on her tiptoes and kissed Papyrus on his mouth.  
"Lucky you, you'll be seeing me in a dress __a lot__ this week." - she whispered to him.  
Papyrus's face lit up at this. The two then looked in the direction of the twins, who were obviously enjoying themselves. It was no wonder, considering that it was a dream coming true. Sam and Piper always wanted to see the beach and sea for real and not just on tv. The De-Code didn't permit them to go see it, with or without their father. But now, they could feel the sand under their bare feet, smell the salty air, hear the sounds of the waves, run in the heat of the sun and most importantly… bathe in the sea! It was definitely not the same as taking a bath, or swimming in the pool of the sports center. Sam and Piper couldn't help but giggle and yell in joy as they let the waves carry them. Noelle was of course supervising them, sitting on the warm sand and looking through her heart-shaped sunglasses.  
"Be careful to not be taken away by the wave!" - she had instructed them.  
"Don't worry, Mom!" - Piper had replied - "We'll be careful!"  
And so Noelle was watching her children with a smile. Who would have thought that someday, she'd go on a vacation with her children? Or even with her parents? Had she been told this a year ago, she wouldn't have believed. There weren't many things Noelle believed in a year ago. But since the twins brought her to Undertown and after everything she's exoerienced, Noelle's vision of the world drastically changed, and her faith only grew. Noelle then looked at her left, where Sans was relaxing in the warm sun. With a smile, she gently poked him. Sans opened his good eye and looked up at his niece.  
"what is it, noelle?" - he asked.  
"I just... feel so good right now, I wanna scream!" - Noelle almost squeeled - "It have been crazy few months, but so worthy to make through it. I'm so glad things turned out okay. And… I was wondering if you feel the same."  
There was actual concern in Noelle's tone. She knew that her uncle suffered of depression. It wasn't abnormal, considering all the trials of life Sans had to go through. But Noelle hoped that after all the good things that happened recently, Sans would be able to see the bright parts that life had to offer. She wished he'd start living for himself, and not just for Papyrus, Frisk and her. Sans could easily tell what was on Noelle's mind, because she had a similar expression to the one Papyrus often had when the matter was brought up.  
"kid... i can tell you're concerned about me, but i assure you that i'm fine." - Sans replied - "so, don't fill your mind with worries for me."  
"Sans..." - Noelle sighed.  
"i know what you want to say, and i'll reassure you." - Sans said then his smile grew warmer - "i'm probably at my happiest now…"  
"Well, that's a good start." - Noelle said with a relieved look.  
"but i think you should be more concerned for the ex-flower." - Sans then pointed at Asriel.  
Asriel was sitting under a sunshade, his nose in a book. It looked like he wanted to hide. But was it from the sun or the people? Considering that Asriel was covered by fur, he couldn't possibly have sunburns, and the second option was thus more likely. Noelle considered to approach him, but then she saw that Frisk beat her at this.  
"Asriel, what's with that studious look on your face?" - Frisk asked as she knelt down to be at his level.  
"Since our parents are no longer immortal, I can't waste too much time before educating myself. I've missed so many things those past few years, after all." - Asriel replied, his eyes still locked on the book pages.  
"Oh, but you have all the time in the world to educate yourself. Right now you're on a vacation and so you must replace 'educate' by 'enjoy'!" - Frisk pointed out - "After all, this is what Mom and Dad want you to do now."  
"I guess you're right, Frisk..." - Asriel lowered his book - "But the truth is, I'm just not completely at ease, walking around among people."  
"That's what I thought. But don't worry, here on the beach, people won't direct all their attention to you." - Frisk reassured him - "So, it shouldn't be as uncomfortable as in the city, for example. It's the best place to start getting used to them."  
"Probably, yeah..." - Asriel then stood up and stepped in the sunlight - "Since I'm wearing boy clothes now, there won't be any awkward moments when they'll confound me with Mom."  
It was true that sometimes, when Asriel happened to go to the city, people would walk up to him thinking that he was Toriel. They'd always quickly realize the mistake, but it didn't make it less awkward. But here and now, Asriel could enjoy calm moments outside. And so, the young prince walked closer to the sea and smiled contently when he felt the cool water touch his feet. He stood there for a long moment, until Sam and Piper decided to prank him by splashing him in the face. Asriel yelped and then narrowed his eyes at the giggling kids.  
"Oh you little rascals! Just wait until I catch you!"  
"I wanna see you try!" - Sam replied with a playful provocation.  
And so, Asriel started to chase the twins long the beach, while Frisk, Noelle and Papyrus laughed at the scene. He almost caught them but, not used to run on dry sand, Asriel tripped and landed on his stomach. Concerned, the kids walked up to him.  
"Are you okay?" - Sam asked.  
"You didn't hurt yourself, did you?" - Piper asked on her turn.  
Asriel recovered quickly from his unpleasant fall and so he used the opportunity to grab the kids.  
"Gotcha!" - he shouted as the kids yelped - "So, did I win or I didn't? Didn't I tell I'll catch you?"  
"Yes, yes, you win Asriel!" - Piper answered in between giggles.  
Satisfied, Asriel put the kids down, allowing them to rest after running in the sun. Frisk quickly handed the kids some cool drinks, which they gladly accepted. Asriel smiled, feeling very alive at that moment. After living as an evil flower, he was grateful to have a caring sister, cute little nephew and niece, and of course Noelle, a niece and friend he owed his new life to. As he pondered on his luck, with the corner of his eye, he noticed a figure, standing a bit further away. With a gasp, he turned around, only to see that the figure was gone. Asriel felt uncomfortable - the figure seemed familiar. He could just see brown hair and a bit of green, but it was enough to remind him of… __"No, this is silly. She's gone for years now. It was just my imagination."__ \- Asriel thought. And so, the figure was quickly forgotten.

Days passed and soon arrived the day when Sam and Piper would return from their vacation. Gaster returned home from his walk and glanced at the clock. The kids would arrive in around thirty minutes, according to a recent message he got from Noelle. Gaster smiled to himself briefly, thinking about how the twins would enthousiastically tell him about their week at the sea. But quickly enough, the skeleton tensed. He got a strange feeling as though he wasn't alone in the house. There was like a dangerous, threatening even, presence.  
"Whoever you are, I know you're here." - Gaster spoke up, his eyesockets glowing yellow - "Show yourself!"  
"Now, now, it's not a very friendly greeting, is it Gaster?" - Chara replied as she showed up.  
Gaster looked at the woman in front of him. With a frown, he asked firmly:  
"Who are you? And what are you doing in my house?"  
"Aw, don't tell me you don't recognize me? I can't blame you, I suppose. It's been dacades now! Or maybe you just forgot my name? Considering you never called me anything but 'human'."  
"C-Chara...?" - Gaster eyes widened at the realization - "But it's impossible, you-"  
"Died? Well, surprise! I'm alive again!" - Chara replied, imitating a joyful voice - "I guess there's no point in asking you if you missed me, _**_Doctor_**_ Gaster."  
The emphasis on the word "doctor" was of course a reminder of how Gaster forced her to call him back when she was still a child. Gaster ignored this, as he still tried to process, shocked by Chara's sudden return.  
"No, no, it... it just can't be... It's impossible!"  
"Really? _You_ are telling me what's possible or not? Seriously, considering what you've accomplished so far, you're no longer allowed to claim that my return's impossible." - Chara replied, then grinned - "Speaking of that, I owe a thank you. Because indirectly, it's thanks to you that I could come back. Thanks to your 'De-Code'… I could cross the fabric of space and time."  
"So you're from a parallel timeline..." - Gaster understood - "And I weakened the space-time fabric… Oh my goodness…"  
"Yes, I come from a neighbour timeline: very similar, yet different in its ending." - Chara replied with a grin - "All it took for me to come back was Frisk to rise her LV! The rest came out naturally."  
"What..? Are you telling me that Frisk's LV brought you back from the dead?" - Gaster asked, then shook his head - "It's impossible. Frisk is one to hug and pet monsters instead of killing them."  
"So, you've called me 'human' for years, and you call Frisk by her given name… just great." - Chara muttered with a hint of irritation, but quickly put back a smile on her face - "You know what timelines imply. You also know what a person would do out of primal fear. It can make you do things you never thought you were capable of. Frisk's no exception. But enough about this, those are just boring details."  
"And why are you here, exactly?" - Gaster asked, raising an eyebrow.  
"Well, you see, I have big plans. It includes revenge and mass destruction. And… I figured out that before starting what I'm planning, I must get rid of the only person that represents a real threat to me."  
"And that would be me..." - Gaster guessed.  
"Exactly." - Chara confirmed, her look getting darker - "This world has so many possibilities, there are many people I want to make suffer. I've been betrayed by the world, you surely know that feeling? I can't bear the thought that they all will live their life, while I'm..."  
Chara paused for a moment. It seemed like her mind had drifted, but it was just for a second. She then smiled again and pursued:  
"I've already reached the absolute, by __erasing__ the entire world. But with what this new timeline has to offer, I can do __more__. And I won't stop as long as my thirst isn't satisfied."  
Gaster couldn't believe what he just heard. He surely never trusted the human, but never he'd have thought she'd be so blood lusty. That she'd __erase the world__, kill her own family. In Gaster's opinion, from what he was seeing and hearing, Chara reached the bottom of insanity. As his facial expression was turning into one of anger, Chara commented:  
"However, a genius like yourself can quickly figure out how to get rid of me, which is a big problem. I came here to solve it."  
"You should know that I'm not one you can strike down easily!" - Gaster's eyes glowed yellow dangerously - "I will __not__ allow you to do whatever you're planning, and I guarantee you it will __hurt__."  
"Ooh, you're willing to __fight__?" - Chara took out her knife - "You really have changed since the War!"  
Chara charged at him, but Gaster sent several bones in her direction and dodged her attack. He didn't waste time to turn her SOUL blue and fire at her again with his bone attacks. Chara grinned maniacally at him and her eyes flashed red for a short moment.  
"Well, I guess it is a fight then. But are you strong enough to eliminate me?" - she asked with a laughter.  
"Let's try and find out." - Gaster replied with a dangerous tone.  
And so, a fight began. A rather violent one. Chara was a good dodger, but luckily not an expert. Gaster, on the other hand, was lucky to be very strong at magic and could avoid to be striked by the knife. At some point, he even managed to make Chara drop her knife, which slid under the couch. That way, Gaster was less exposed to danger. But Chara was a very determined person, and thus still strong. The window got eventually smashed in the battle and so it continued in the garden. Gaster was giving everything he had. He wouldn't let Chara kill him, because if she did, she'd kill all those he cared for!  
"You're stronger than I thought you'd be, you know!" - Chara commented, with the intent of provocation - "But not as strong as I am!"  
"Funny, I was about to say the same about you!" - Gaster growled in response.  
With his bone attacks and blasters, Gaster managed to make Chara retrieve back in the living room. He followed and then managed to block Chara against a wall with several bones. The skeleton couldn't help but glance at the clock and his eyes glowed purple for a brief moment. It was brief, but it was enough time for Chara to notice. The woman grinned at him and started to taunt him.  
"Is that fear I see on your face? Let me guess, you're thinking 'Oh no, my children will be home soon, I must finish that nasty human off before they arrive and she kills them!'" - Chara imitated an exaggerately dramatic worried voice, then she added evilly - "Your fears are justified."  
"Don't you dare..." - Gaster growled, not without panting.  
He summon a blaster, ready to fire at Chara. Gaster knew now that violence wasn't the best solution, but now it was about to save his children and all the others from a murderous maniac. Chara could read Gaster's thoughts easily and she broke into a hysterical laughter. He thought he could get rid of her? No way! What he didn't know was the power she got from the world's destruction. A power she got from its very __heart__. Smashing it in pieces permitted her to absorb some of its magic. Now she could "cheat" whenever she pleased. Just as the blaster was about to fire at her, Chara glitched out from the skeleton's eyesight.  
"What the-"  
Chara appeared just in front of him in less than a second to grab the skeleton by the collar of his white coat and throw him against the wooden cabinet. The collision made the cabinet fall over Gaster and one of the items hit his skull hard. After a cracking sound was heard, Gaster was completely unconscious. Chara walked up to him and poked at him to see that there was no reaction. __"He'll surely turn to dust very soon."__ \- she thought with satisfaction - __"I would've stayed to see it, but if his kids see me here now, my plans collapse."__ Chara then found her knife that she dropped earlier and fled away by the smashed window. In was a few moments later that Sam and Piper returned home. They gasped in shock when they saw the state in which the living room was, and they grew even more alarmed when they saw their father lying unconscious on the floor under the cabinet.  
"Dad! Oh my goodness!" - Piper exclaimed.  
"Oh no, no... We must help him!" - Sam rushed to his side and proceeded to lift the cabinet.  
Piper quickly went to help her brother and quicly enough, they managed to pull Gaster from under the collapsed wooden cabinet. They saw that he was badly injured, there was a severe crack on his skull.  
"What do we do...?! C-call the ambulance!" - Piper suggested as she started to shake.  
Sam found Gaster's cellphone in his labcoat and, with trembling hands, managed to call the hospital. As he was explaining the situation the best he could, Piper was trying to shake Gaster awake.  
"Dad... Dad, open your eyes... Do you hear me..? It'll be okay..! Please… Please don't die, Dad..!" - Piper's eyes got filled with tears - "Please live..! I... We don't want to lose you..! We can't!"  
But Gaster didn't hear his daughter's pleas. The few minutes the twins had to wait until help arrived were probably the longest of their lives. And the question of who did this to their dad couldn't leave their minds.

A huge pain in his skull was the first thing Gaster felt when he slowly opened his eyes. When Gaster looked around, he saw that he was in what looked like a hospital room. A thin tube was going from under his shirt, that was connected to a pouch of a green glowing liquid. It was obviously a healing injection, being injected directly into his SOUL. The next thing Gaster saw was that very worried Asgore and Toriel were sitting at his side.  
"Oh thank goodness, you're awake Gaster..!" - Toriel exclaimed, then put her hand over his shoulder.  
"Toriel..?" - Gaster asked, giving her a confused look.  
"Yes, that's me and don't worry. Everything's going to be okay." - the queen of monsters said with a gentle and soothing voice.  
"You had a nasty crack on your skull when we found you, we feared it was too late." - Asgore said on his turn.  
"Nghh... so that's why it hurts so badly..." - Gaster said as he carefully brought his hand to his head.  
"The doctors will give you painkillers soon." - Toriel reassured him.  
"...Good..." - Gaster breathed out as he stared at the ceiling - "W-what happened exactly..?"  
"We thought you'd be able to tell us. You were found in a critical state before you were taken to the hospital." - Asgore answered - "It looks like somebody attacked you. Can you tell who it was?"  
Gaster just groaned in response and shut his eyes close, obviously in pain. Toriel turned to her husband and suggested:  
"Maybe we shouldn't ask him questions now. Let's give him time to recover and process; he's in pain and the shock must've been hard."  
"You're right, Tori. This can wait a little."  
"You... you shouldn't be here with me, though..." - Gaster then said quietly.  
"But of course, we should. We're like a family, remember?" - Asgore protested - "Speaking of family, the twins will be so relieved to know you're awake. They were worried sick and they've been crying a lot. They feared you'd die. Shall I call Sam and Piper here, Gaster?"  
A short moment of silence followed. Gaster looked at Asgore with a very confused expression.  
"...Who?"

* * *

**A/N: After six months of peace, megalo strikes back. Chara's here to stay and as you can see, she's very dangerous. And you'll have many occasions to see how cruel and sadistic she is.**  
**I know, Chara exposing her intentions to Gaster before attacking him is an old cliché, but... in this case it can be justified by the fact that she's been living in the destroyed world all alone for decades, with nobody to talk to but perhaps herself. That's why Chara's quite a babbler. **  
**Considering the chronology, Chara normally should be two decades older than Frisk and Asriel. But it happens that when Gaster de-coded the world prior arc 1, it had as effect that the other timelines were sort of put on "pause". **  
**And how will Gaster react to his children, now that he lost his memory? Only time will tell.**

**(Oh, and that contraceptive joke... It works better in French actually, but I just couldn't resist! XD)**


	37. Chapter 37

**And here comes the next chapter already! I'm just so motivated to update now, the third arc being my personal favourite. :) Enjoy!**

* * *

Asgore and Toriel looked at Gaster with surprised and worried looks. Asgore had just suggested to call Sam and Piper to come see him, now that he awoke after his bad injury had been treated. But in response, Gaster gave him a confused look, and asked who he was talking about.  
"Sam and Piper… your children, Gaster." - Asgore repeated.  
"What are you talking about? It's the first time I hear those names. And I have no children." - Gaster replied, gazing Asgore weirdly.  
"My goodness… Don't tell me you don't remember your own children?" - Toriel asked with a worried expression.  
"How can I remember somebody who I don't know?" - Gaster replied to her as his own features took a worried tone.  
"Gaster… Tell me… What's the last thing you remember?" - Asgore asked on his turn.  
"I remember being in the lab... I was working on… uh, something that involves messing with space-time fabric and…" - Gaster avoided the king and queen's looks - "...it's not something you'd like."  
"You are talking about the De-Code, am I correct?"  
"H-how do you know..?" - Gaster grew very nervous.  
"Gaster, the De-Code had already happened." - Toriel said then gently took the skeleton's hand in her own - "You succeeded in doing it. And it lasted for twenty-two years. Until Noelle undid it seven months ago."  
"Wait… what?!" - Gaster's face immediately paled - "Are you telling me that I... forgot twenty-two years of my life?"  
"I'm afraid that's true…" - Toriel sighed with a look of empathy - "Do you really not remember __anything__ after the lab?"  
"No! I veguely remember being there, and then… I wake up here." - Gaster answered as he started to hyperventilate - "But... Twenty… twenty-two years… No, it's impossible! I couldn't have just lost my memories! I... I'm too smart for that..!"  
The Dreemurr spouses exchanged a very concerned look, not sure how to deal with the situation. What could they do or say? The doctors were probably more competent to deal with this kind of issue, but they didn't want to be passive either. Their friend, a man who they've seen almost like a son, was in distress and they had to help him. But how?  
"And... and who are those two children you keep talking about..?" - Gaster then asked, trying to regain control of his breathing - "How do they fit in this equation…?"  
"They are your adoptive children." - Asgore answered - "During the De-Code, you started to feel unhappy. So, at some point you decided to adopt a baby to not be so lonely. You ended up adopting twins. And they did make you happier."  
"So, you're telling me that not only I failed my biggest ingenious plan, but that I went low enough to __adopt human babies__?" - Gaster asked dumbfounded, then shook his head - "No, this can't be. That doesn't resemble me at all. I would never do such a thing."  
"Well you __did__, Gaster." - Toriel insisted - "And you loved them a lot."  
But Gaster was unconvinced. He was telling himself that it must've been some joke, because he clearly would __never__ want to raise a human! He didn't dare to ask the royals if they were messing with him. So he kept giving Toriel an incredulous look.  
"Make an effort Gaster, and try to remember. Does anything of what I'm telling you sound familiar?" - Toriel almost begged.  
The motherly natured monster couldn't fully conceive the idea that a parent would simply forget everything about their own children.  
"No... Their names don't sound familiar at all." - Gaster replied - "Everything's blank after the lab."  
"This is very serious…" - Asgore said thoughtfully - "I shall call them here anyway. Maybe when you see them, your memories will return?"  
"If you insist, Your Majesty…"  
But by his tone, it was clear that Gaster wasn't thrilled by the idea. When the king exited the room, Gaster gave Toriel a look, trying to guess what she was thinking. She just squeezed his hand more and patted his shoulder in a reassuring way. Gaster didn't like it. Not because the gesture was unpleasant, but because it was the evidence of her seriousness about the children. __"But it can't be…"__ \- Gaster told himself - __"I would clearly remember if I had kids… even more so if they were humans."__ Just thinking about this made his skull ache again. Gaster let out a small groan of pain and then looked in the direction of the door. With concentration, he could hear Asgore talk seriously to somebody. Probably the children themselves. The conversation was relatively long and after a moment, Asgore finally came back in… followed by two human kids. Gaster tensed. Then, his gaze traveled from their heads down to toes, studying them. He quickly estimated the children to be ten years old. Like most children, they were wearing stripes. The boy seemed to like blue, while the girl seemed to have a preference for pink and purple. They had round blue eyes and were of about the same height. The boy was a bit chubbier than the slim girl, and his dark hair contrasted with his sister's blond hair. And so, Gaster didn't say anything as he was taking in their appearance, while the kids were giving him hopeful looks. After a moment, Toriel spoke up:  
"So... Those are the children we told you about. Does anything about them feel familiar?"  
"...No, because I'm seeing them for the first time." - Gaster answered.  
As soon as he said this, the twins' eyes widened. How could that be their father didn't feel familiarity when he saw them? The kids looked up at Asgore with alarmed expressions. Asgore saw it and so he said to Gaster:  
"Don't speak like that, Gaster. You might hurt their feelings."  
"Come on, try again. You've raised them for ten years. Surely something __does__ feel familiar." - Toriel insisted.  
Gaster looked at the twins one more time, before quickly redirecting his gaze back on Toriel.  
"No." - he said, his tone devoid of all emotion - "Your Majesty, as much as I trust you and your wisdom, I hope you're not trying to punish me by making me feel uncomfortable for my intention to unleash the De-Code."  
Sam and Piper exchanged a distressed look. Their father was making that assumption so casually, as though they were nothing to him. The kids walked up to Gaster, hoping they could reach him if they interacted directly.  
"Dad, come on, it's us!" - Sam spoke up first.  
"We're your family!" - Piper said on her turn.  
Gaster tensed even more as they approached. His eyesocket widened and pressed himself against the pillow, as if trying to escape across the wall behind him.  
"Stay away..!" - he then ordered - "Stay away from me..!"  
"Come on, you know we'll never hurt you." - Piper said gently and reached her hand in attempt to grab Gaster's one.  
Seeing that the girl was about to touch him, Gaster managed to react quickly (despite his weakness and pain) and turned her SOUL blue. Piper gasped and looked at her father with heartbreak.  
"Don't... don't __ever__ try to touch me again." - Gaster said dangerously - "This is my __only__ warning."  
"Gaster!" - Asgore exclaimed, shocked by his friend's attitude.  
"So... you really forgot us then…" - Sam spoke quietly, looking away.  
"Sam, he didn't mean to, it's just his medical condition." - Asgore tried to reassure him, but in vain.  
But the boy turned around, grabbed his sister's hand, and the two walked out of the room. Asgore and Toriel looked at Gaster with disapproving looks on their faces.  
"What?" - Gaster asked with a hint of irritation - "You don't expect one to hug perfect strangers, do you?"  
"You could've been a bit less cold towards them." - Toriel remarked - "Try to put yourself in their shoes, how do you think those children are feeling now?"  
"I don't care about guessing huamans' thoughts." - Gaster said bitterly.  
Asgore and Toriel looked at each other. Toriel had a questioning look, while Asgore just shook his head. Things were worse than they first thought. They could rely only on medicine now.  
"I don't want to talk about this anymore." - Gaster said as he shut his eyes close - "My head hurts."  
The royal couple decided that they should leave Gaster alone for now.  
In the corridor, the twins told Noelle what happened. Noelle was shocked and felt very sorry for her children. So she hugged them tightly, allowing them to cry, as she gently rubbed their backs. It hurt to see her children in such distress, Noelle wished she could do anything to help them. But in this situation, she was powerless. She looked up at Asgore when he approached her.  
"Toriel went to talk to the doctors, to explain them the situation." - Asgore informed - "Let's hope that Gaster's amnesia can eventually be healed. I hoped that just by seeing the kids, Gaster would remember…"  
"You say he doesn't remember anything from after he launched the De-Code?" - Noelle asked.  
"Yes, he forgot twenty-two years of his life. A rather big part, and probably the most important one." - Asgore answered thoughtfully - "He forgot his personal evolution, which is why he reacted so negatively to the kids."  
"What do you mean?" - Noelle asked.  
"Well... considering everything he went through during the War, Gaster despised humans. Tori and I hoped he'd overcome this feeling, but… it looks like nothing could really ease his grudge. Your mother was an exception. Since she didn't kill a single monster and she played a part in breaking the Barrier, Frisk earned Gaster's respect. But it didn't change his vision of humanity that much…"  
"So... you're saying that Dad hates us now just because we're humans..?" - Piper asked with a croaked from crying voice.  
"N-no, I'm not saying he __hates__ you, he's just…" - Asgore tried to find better words - "...Your dad's not comfortable around humans, he just doesn't trust them. Before he knew you, he would've reacted the same way towards __any__ human."  
"So that's all Piper and I are to him… just 'any human'." - Sam said darkly as he sniffed.  
"Sam..." - Noelle started, but her son cut her off.  
"What? There's nothing you can say! We're just children from a race he despises!" - Sam shouted as he broke free from his mother's embrace - "You can't claim it's not true, Mom! 'Cause you'd lie!"  
Sam was trying very hard to fight his new upcoming tears, without much success. Piper was looking at her brother, as her own tears were streaming down her cheeks.  
"He looked at us like he'd look at a complete stranger…" - Sam went on - "He... The look in his eyes, it was… it was…"  
"...Empty..." - Piper finished for her brother, then burried her face into her mother's shirt - "His eyes are usually so warm when he looks at us… but this time, there was nothing…"  
Noelle and Asgore looked at each other with sorry and desperate looks on their faces. Noelle was especially devastated, because her children's pain was her own pain.

Meanwhile, Asriel and Frisk were sitting in the living room of New Home, waiting for their parents to return. They've all been equally shocked when they found out what happened to Gaster. They were concerned about his health and wondered who could've hurt him so badly, but they were also feeling sorry for the twins.  
"The poor kids..." - Frisk said - "It must've been a real shock for them to find their severely injured father."  
"Yeah... Especially right after being filled with only positive impressions from our trip." - Asriel agreed, then looked at the clock - "It's been hours now. This worries me."  
"I'm concerned too. I just hope things didn't turn out too-"  
Frisk was cut by her cellphone ringing. As she looked at the screen, she sighed in relief seeing that it was a call from Noelle. Finally they'd have some news! Frisk didn't waste time to answer the call.  
"Noelle, thank goodness, we were getting worried. What's going on over there? How's Gaster?"  
"Mom, things turned out not as okay as we hoped..." - Noelle said with a grim tone.  
"What's going on? Is Gaster..?" - Frisk didn't dare to finish the question.  
"He's alive. The crack on his skull shouldn't take too long to heal, but… but Gaster got amnesia." - Noelle informed with a sigh - "He... he doesn't remember Sam and Piper, just like he doesn't remember anything since right before the De-Code."  
"God, this is terrible..." - Frisk breathed out in shock - "I... I imagine the kids are heartbroken, aren't they?"  
"They've been crying their eyes out. They're literally disconsolate; Gaster didn't react too well to them as humans."  
Frisk brought her hand to her mouth, feeling horrible from what she was hearing. She could only imagine the pain Sam and Piper were going through. Asriel could only hear one part of the conversation, so he wondered what was going on. He hoped that Gaster at least made it alive. While waiting for Frisk to finish the conversation, Asriel's look distractly wandered around. He then noticed a single letter lying on the table that hadn't been opened by his parents. Curious, Asriel took the envelope and noted with surprise that it was addressed to him. As he opened it and read the note inside, his eyes widened.

__Asriel,  
It has been long years now. There are some things we must discuss together.  
Meet me tomorrow at the place where our paths parted, where our dispute was left unsolved.  
You know what place I'm talking about. I highly request you to come alone.  
\- Your Best Friend.__

__"No... It's impossible..!"__ \- Asriel's mind screamed - __"Chara's gone..! This letter can't be from her!"__ Asriel started to think that somebody wanted to trap him for whatever business. He was the prince of monsters, after all. Who knew what some people would want from him. One important question remained, though. Should he respect the request and come alone? And if he didn't, would it be a bad idea?

Asriel was standing in the park, at the exact same spot where he had been mercylessly assaulted by humans. Looking at the bed of golden flowers beneath him made Asriel feel very sad and cold inside. It were those flowers that sealed his fate, it were those flowers that indirectly inflinged him the curse to be Flowey. __"This is where I once lost faith in goodness… and in mercy…"__ \- Asriel mused, looking down at the flowers. Asriel then looked at the note he was holding in his hand. He really wondered who could've sent him this. __"Who's cruel enough to reopen my old wounds?"__ \- he kept wondering - __"And who actually knows about the meaning of this place? Nobody besides Frisk and Noelle knows about it… not even my parents…"__ Asriel's thoughts got interrupted as he felt a presence behind him. Someone was walking up to him. __"I guess it's the moment of truth then."__ \- the prince thought before turning around. And when he did… it was a shock. There was standing a person he'd know anywhere.  
"Chara..." - Asriel half-whispered.  
His sister grew up, sure. But Asriel could still recognize her in this grown-up woman. Chara was wearing black pants and a green shirt - a stripeless one. Her hair color hadn't changed a bit, it was the same caramel brown Asriel remembered. However, Chara's hair was now longer than it used to be when they were children. Instead of being shoulder-length, it was long enough to reach her chest. And her eyes… strangely enough, those were red. Asriel wondered briefly what happened, but it was his lesser concern at that moment. So, Chara was really the one who sent him the note.  
"Greetings, Azzy." - Chara said with a smile - "I'm glad you came."  
"You... you're alive..." - Asriel said with a trembling voice - "You're alive! You're back!"  
Without thinking, Asriel pulled Chara in a tight hug and tears of joy appeared in the corners of his eyes. Chara barely returned the hug, but she replied calmly:  
"Yes, I'm back for real."  
"You have no idea how much I missed you, Chara." - Asriel said as he pulled away, while still holding Chara's hands in his - "But... how..? You... you died decades ago..! I thought you were gone forever. Yet you're… here..! And… what happened to your eyes?"  
"Well, you died too, and yet you're standing here in front of me." - Chara pointed out - "It was a difficult and dark path, but I found my way back from the dead, thanks to my determination. It got as after-effect to turn my eyes red, but it's a small price to pay to return to this world."  
"However you did that, it doesn't matter. What truly matters is that you're alive again." - Asriel said with a smile - "Mom and Dad will be so happy to see you again! Let's go home Chara, tell them the good news!"  
Asriel was about to go and took Chara's hand to make her follow him, but the woman didn't move from her spot. Asriel looked at her with a curious look and asked:  
"What are you waiting for? Let's go! You surely missed our parents, right?"  
"I... I'm not coming home with you. Not today, not ever." - Chara replied - "Things aren't the same anymore, Asriel."  
"What are you talking about, Chara? True, it's been years that we succumbed, but it's alright. Our parents happily welcomed me back, so they surely will do the same with you." - Asriel reasoned - "They missed us both so badly."  
"Or did they?" - Chara asked with a darker tone - "Did they really miss me as much as they missed you?"  
"Of course they did! Why such a silly question?"  
"The question's far from being 'silly', dear brother. Because it didn't take them a lot of effort to replace me by Frisk."  
"W-what..? Wait, no it's not... No! It's not like that at all! They didn't 'replace' you!" - Asriel hurried to clear up - "They never forgot you!"  
"Really? Because what I've seen tells me otherwise." - Chara said, clenching the fists - "I'm not surprised you're defending them, though. After all, you replaced me too."  
"H-how can you say such a thing?!" - Asriel exclaimed with a shocked expression - "I've missed you so badly! I wanted you back, Chara!"  
"Until you met Frisk and decided you liked her more!" - Chara snapped at him - "What did you tell Frisk after the Barrier broke? You said, and I quote: 'Chara wasn't really the greatest person. While, Frisk, you're the type of friend I wish I always had.'"  
Chara then gave a very dark look at her former brother. Asriel felt very uncomfortable, both from the glare Chara was giving him and from the words he said about her that she took care to remind him.  
"Those words… I could never forget them." - Chara said, sounding as though she was on edge of anger.  
"Chara... Please, don't be upset... I... I know it wasn't the best choice of words, but..." - Asriel said awkwardly - "...that doesn't mean that I cared any less for you. You always mattered a lot to me. You were my sister and friend, so I guess it wasn't an elegant thing to say. ...I'm sorry I said that."  
"You really are sorry?" - Chara asked, seemingly softening a bit.  
"...Yes. How can I make it up for you?"  
"I'm glad you asked. I want you to prove that you're still my friend." - Chara said seriously - "That's why I came here in the first place."  
"What do you mean by this, Chara?"  
"I'll go straight to the point. I'm here to prove the world that they have no power over my fate. I'm the only one in control of it. I won't ever let anyone use me for their purposes and then throw away once they're done with me. That's what humanity's always done with me… and that's also what our parents did. But I'm here now and I intend to put an end to this. I want to see them all suffer from my hand. I want them to realize they've been messing with the wrong person. I came back to get my revenge. And the Dreemurrs are my top priority."  
Asriel's eyes were wide and he slowly shook his head. He felt sick inside. He couldn't believe his own ears. Sure, Chara had her issues back when they were kids and she had a grudge against humanity, but this was another level of evil.  
"Chara, what are you saying..? You want to hurt our family? But why..? It doesn't make sense... Our parents and I have been good to you, we did our best to make you happy. Why would you want to have revenge on us?"  
"Don't worry, Azzy. I won't hurt you... if you decide to join me, of course." - Chara smiled - "You're a Boss Monster, you have power. And I gained some power too, before arriving here. Imagine what we can accomplish if we join our forces. We almost succeeded once. What do you say, Asriel? Do you want to give it a second try?"  
Asriel recalled the said "first try". That famous day when they died. The memory of that day regularily popped up in his nightmares. Asriel felt his heartbeat quicken and sweat forming on his forehead.  
"No! I'm done with this! I'm not following your crazy plans anymore!" - Asriel shouted, a bit louder than he intended, but then composed himself - "Why don't you just let go of your anger towards humanity and move on? You don't need revenge to be happy."  
"Don't you order me how to live, Asriel!" - Chara shouted back, her eyes getting redder - "I know what I want and I'm getting it! It seems like you're turning your back on me again, just like the previous time! Our plan failed because of you! I thought we were friends!"  
"So you think that's how friendship works? You say we've been using you, but in fact you used me when you came up with that plan! You could guess how humans would react when seeing a monster… And you made me go to the Surface anyway..! You… you led me straight to my death, Chara..! Just because… just because living happily with our parents wasn't enough for you…" - Asriel felt tears appear in his eyes, but didn't allow them to fall - "Collecting SOULs to break the Barrier was just an excuse, wasn't it..?"  
"Stop mumbling nonsense, Asriel! Who put those thoughts in your head?" - Chara asked with a demanding tone - "Is it Frisk? Did she tell you those things?! Did she make you see me in the wrong light?!"  
"No, Frisk didn't tell me anything like that. I realized it by myself over time." - Asriel said calmly but firmly.  
"I don't believe you!" - Chara yelled as she pulled out her knife and pointed it at her former brother's face.  
"Asriel!"  
The two looked in the direction of the scream. Asriel let out a sigh of relief; it was Frisk. In fact, after he received the weird note, he told Frisk about it. The two had decided that Frisk would come with him and observe the scene from afar, and that she'd come out only if things took a bad turn. Since Chara threatened Asriel with a knife, it was a pretty good reason to show up.  
"You..." - Chara growled, then she glared at Asriel - "I instructed you to come __alone__."  
"I... I thought that the meeting was maybe a trap, so... I couldn't take risks… and so I came with her…" - Asriel replied a bit shakily - "And it looks like… it was the right decision."  
"Traitor! I knew I couldn't trust you anymore! You betrayed me __again__!"  
Chara then inhaled and exhaled deeply and dangerously several times, before turning to face Frisk. She then made a couple of steps in her direction, her grip firm on the knife.  
"Frisk... The one who took away everything from me... My worst enemy." - she said - "__You__ are the one I came for in priority."  
"M-Me? You came because you want your revenge on me?" - Frisk asked with a surprised expression - "But it doesn't make sense..! I didn't do anything to you! I wasn't even born when you died!"  
"Put off that look of innocence from your face! It's irritating!" - Chara snapped at her - "And you just did the worst thing you could do to me today! You manipulated Asriel, you turned him against me..!"  
"No! I didn't 'manipulate' anybody!" - Frisk protested - "If he's against you now, it's because he disapproves your intentions!"  
Chara angrily grabbed Frisk by her forearm and pulled her close to her, placing her knife threatingly under her throat. Frisk gasped and closed her eyes in fear, expecting the cut to come. But then, Chara suddenly released Frisk, letting out a cry of pain. Frisk quickly ran to her brother, while Chara looked down at her left hand. She saw that it was burned. She then looked up at Asriel, who protectively placed his arm in front of Frisk, with a fireball in his right hand. Angry, Chara was about to charge at her traitor brother with her knife, but got caught off guard as Asriel made the fireball disappear and created a Chaos Saber instead. He pointed the weapon at her.  
"Don't even think about it, Chara." - he said - "I don't want to hurt you, but if you try to hurt Frisk, I'll have no choice."  
"So I was right... you chose her over me." - Chara said quietly, yet angrily - "But do you know who you're protecting, Asriel? Do you really think she deserves your love and protection? Do you know what your 'sweet' new sister is capable of? She's no better than other humans."  
"Shut it!" - Asriel shouted at her - "You know nothing about her!"  
"I know her better than you believe, Azzy." - Chara grinned evilly - "How do you think I could come back from the dead? Any guesses? Well, we all know where my body's burried, right? When Frisk fell down to the Underground, she absorbed some of the DT that the golden flowers had absorbed from my body. She couldn't have survived the fall, otherwise!"  
"I always knew the flowers couldn't have just cushioned my fall..." - Frisk muttered thoughtfully.  
"Since the very start, Frisk started to kill monsters. She killed every monster she encountered." - Chara said darkly - "As she killed them, her LV raised which permitted me to awake within her. At the end of the journey, I could become myself again and with my newly gained power, I erased the world."  
"What..? You... 'erased the world'? And Frisk killed monsters?" - Asriel asked with a shocked expression - "But we're all here, __alive__! What you say makes no sense!"  
"I didn't kill any monsters! I spared every single one!" - Frisk said on her turn - "I never strayed from the right path!"  
"My return proves otherwise." - Chara replied - "In this timeline, you maybe took the pacifist path. But the timeline I come from… proves that deep down, you do have the kill in you, Frisk."  
"No... No, no! I would __never__ do that!" - Frisk protested, yet she started to shake and her face grew pale.  
"Yes! Not only you would, but you __did__, in my timeline." - Chara replied with an evil grin.  
Both Asriel and Frisk had shocked expressions on their faces. Frisk was more troubled by the revelation, while Asriel was more thinking about how difficult it would be to make a full of LV Chara go back on the right path.  
"Well, I think I'll let you digest all the new information." - Chara then turned around - "But you can be sure to see me soon."  
Before Asriel had any time to react, Chara glitched out of the landscape, as if she's never been there in the first place. This surprised the Dreemurr siblings, wondering how Chara could do that. Anyway, they had a new crisis situation to take care of.

Later that evening, the two Dreemurr siblings had to explain the situation to the others. Asriel took care to explain this to his parents, while Frisk did the same to Noelle, Papyrus and Sans. When she told them about Chara's return and desire for revenge, it obviously shocked and alarmed the family.  
"Oh just great... Not only Gaster lost his memories, but also my psycho aunt wants to kill us all." - Noelle said.  
"I suspect Chara's the one who attacked Gaster..." - Frisk said thoughtfully - "This only displays how dangerous she is. She almost killed him. And she was ready to kill off her own brother, if he was on her way."  
"I guess I'll have to train my magic more. I wasn't born to be a 'savior' for nothing, right? Out of us all, I probably have the best chances against her." - Noelle declared seriously.  
"you can rely on us to train you. we'll make you the most difficult enemy for that demon to defeat." - Sans said.  
"SANS? YOU REALLY WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS?" - Papyrus asked with surprise.  
"well, we reached a point where i can't stay inactive, i suppose." - Sans shrugged.  
Noelle nodded in gratitude. Soon, Noelle walked upstairs to check on the twins. Since Gaster wasn't bound to return home soon, the twins would stay with their mother. Plus, considering the new threat, it was probably the safest solution. Noelle saw that Sam and Piper were sound asleep in her bed. Their faces weren't exactly peaceful, they reflected sadness. Noelle walked up to them and stroked their both heads, as if trying to comfort them through their sleep. __"I wish I could do more for you…"__ \- she thought sadly - __"But if you ever lose faith… I'll keep believing for you. I could always return to you. So I believe your father can too."__  
In the neighbour room, as Frisk was sitting on the bed lost on her thoughts, she felt a hand lie on her shoulder. She looked up and saw that Papyrus was giving her a concerned look.  
"FRISK... ARE YOU ALRIGHT?" - he asked - "YOU'RE NOT QUITE THE SAME SINCE YOU RETURNED HOME AND TOLD US ABOUT CHARA."  
Frisk looked away for a moment, not sure what she could answer. But then, she decided to be honest, like she's always been with Papyrus.  
"I'm... I'm shocked. By what Chara told about her timeline." - Frisk said quietly - "She said I'm responsible of her resurrection. It's because I raised my LV that she's back… it's because I __killed monsters__. Until today, I thought I knew who I am… I thought I was a good, or at least decent, person. But now, it turns out I'm not!"  
A single tear slid down her cheek. Papyrus immediately knelt down to be at Frisk's level and looked straight in her eyes. He got a tight grip on her shoulders, which forced her to look back at him.  
"DON'T MIND CHARA'S WORDS, FRISK! SHE WANTS TO MAKE YOU DOUBT, SHE WANTS YOU TO BERATE YOURSELF. BUT I AM HERE TO REMIND YOU THAT YOU'RE A __VERY GOOD__ PERSON." - Papyrus said firmly - "WE'RE ALL HERE, ALIVE, AS A PROOF OF THAT."  
"But Chara's here too... which is a proof that I've killed."  
"IT HAPPENED IN ANOTHER TIMELINE. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT HAPPENED OUT THERE. YOU CAN'T BERATE YOURSELF FOR WHAT A DIFFERENT VERSION OF YOU DID. HERE AND NOW, YOU'RE A GOOD PERSON, THE HUMAN WHO SHOWED MERCY TO MONSTERKIND."  
Papyrus then used his magic to summon Frisk's SOUL. As the red heart glowed on her chest, Papyrus asked his wife:  
"YOUR SOUL IS STILL AT LV 1, RIGHT?"  
"That's right... The number didn't change since my fall..." - Frisk replied.  
"SEE? IT ONLY CONFIRMS YOU'RE GOOD." - Papyrus smiled at her softly, then he gently placed his hand over Frisk's SOUL, careful to not pressure on it - "I PROBABLY KNOW THIS SOUL BETTER THAN ANYONE. AND I KNOW THAT __MY__ FRISK WILL ALWAYS MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE. YOU'RE VERY GREAT. AND EVEN IF YOU EVER STRAY, I'LL ALWAYS KEEP BELIEVING IN YOU TO RETURN ON THE RIGHT PATH."  
After hearing those words, Frisk finally smiled and wrapped her arms around Papyrus, who returned the embrace.  
"Sometimes I wonder what I would do without you, Papyrus..." - Frisk then whispered - "Thank you..."  
"PLEASE, DON'T EVER LET CHARA GET TO YOU." - Papyrus requested - "SHE PROBABLY JUST WANTS TO HURT YOU… SO, PLEASE DON'T SATISFY HER."  
"I won't, I promise."  
The couple pulled away and soon they laid down on their bed sliding under the blanket. Frisk then leaned to Papyrus, who wrapped his arms around her. After a moment of comforting silence, Frisk requested:  
"Please, make sure Noelle's ready to face Chara when the time comes."  
"SANS AND I WILL DO OUR BEST TO PREPARE HER." - Papyrus replied - "I PROMISE YOU THAT WE WON'T LOSE HER AGAIN."  
Frisk nodded in response, after what Papyrus turned off the night lamp.

* * *

**A/N: Well, Chara hoped she'd break Frisk with her revelation. Unlucky her, Frisk has Papyrus as the greatest husband. :) **

**There's one thing or two I'd like to clarify about the genocidal timeline. Because it's clear that Chara will always claim that it was all Frisk's fault, but in fact... not exactly. At least, not fully. You might think that Frisk did the genocide all the way long, until at the very end when Chara shows up (and kills Sans, Asgore and Flowey). But it's not how I view things. I picture them a bit differently. Frisk falls in the Underground, is greeted by Flowey, only to almost get killed with the warning that "in this world, it's kill or be killed". And so, in that other timeline, instead of sticking to her morals, Frisk surrenders to fear and becomes sort of paranoid. She doesn't trust the monsters around, not even Toriel (who, let's be honest, if looked at with realistic eyes, may be seen as a psycho, considering she cathegorically refuses to let you go out of her house, has planned your stay years forward, etc), and thus kills the monsters, Flowey's earlier words guiding her actions. At the end of the Ruins, when she kills Toriel, Chara starts to awake. It actually reflects my headcanon how things happen in the genocide route. Because after all, the first real changes start once you leave the Ruins, notably when **_**you don't go hide behind the lamp**_**. Which is an indicator that you're not really yourself anymore. And so, Chara started to inspire Frisk to keep going the wrong path. Which in the end, leads to her complete resurrection. I'm basically saying that the moment you leave the Ruins, Chara's already there/conscious. (Chara's mostly in control, unless Frisk finds it in them to snap out of it.)**

**Btw, for the conversation between Asriel and Chara, I was directly inspired by the last conversation between Anakin and Padme in Star Wars 3. :D The situation is similar, so I really wanted to reproduce those vibes… I hope you like it? **


	38. Chapter 38

Two days passed since Gaster was brought to the hospital. With the right medicine, the crack on his skull was healing rather quickly. The doctors predicted that in around a week, the head would recover completely. But even though physically it was healing, the same couldn't be told about his amnesia. Toriel told Gaster about everything that happened from the De-Code up to the day he was found injured in his house. Sadly, nothing of what the queen was telling sounded familiar to him. Gaster felt as if Toriel was telling him somebody else's life. When she told him about Noelle being a grown-up woman and about Asriel's resurrection, he was genuinely surprised, as if hearing about this for the very first time. It was all very frustrating, to say the least. But what disturbed Gaster the most was the entire thing about his adoptive children. Gaster still couldn't wrap his mind around the fact he would accept to adopt humans and __care for the__m with his whole being. __"True, I didn't have any options in that other world… but still. How did I come up with the idea to adopt at all? I would never adventure myself in this area!"__ \- Gaster was telling himself - __"And let's imagine I got desperate enough for adoption. I couldn't just… 'get attached' to human children. It goes against my principles, I don't even ____trust____ humans! Why would I expose myself to the risk to be betrayed at any moment?"__ Those were the questions that were running through Gaster's mind. Asgore and Toriel were obviously very concerned for him, as well as for Sam and Piper. Unfortunately, they also had another huge concern - the return of Chara and her thirst for vengeance. The Dreemurr spouses were confused and terrified. They still could barely believe that Chara, their daughter, would want to hurt her own family. And they were even more shocked by the idea that __she__ was the one who injured Gaster that badly. The uncertainity about everything contributed to decide that transferring Gaster to the psychiatry ward and keeping him there until he recovered his memory was in his best interests. Plus, since Gaster was his pre-De-Code self, it would be difficult to tell what was going on in his head, and leaving him wander around alone was a bit risky (but mostly for himself). Gaster, of course, wasn't pleased with the decision, since he didn't like the idea to be submitted to the hospital staff.  
"Amnesia can't be just 'healed' anyway, what's the point?" - he remarked.  
"It's for your own good, Gaster." - Asgore replied - "You'd probably feel uncomfortable to live in an unfamiliar house, full of memories of a life you don't consider as your own."  
"That's right… I don't want to have those permanantly in my eyesight." - Gaster agreed - "I suppose better here than there."  
Asgore frowned. He hoped that Gaster would have at least the slightest desire to try to remember his former life. But it seemed like he was almost comfortable not remembering. __"But maybe soon the desire to explore his past will arise."__ \- the king reassured himself. And so, Gaster moved to another room, located in a different part of the hospital. The nurse informed him that since he'd probably stay for a while, he was allowed to dress up in some comfortable clothes from his home, instead of constantly wearing the hospital gown. The nurse explained that wearing his personal clothes would permit him to feel less like he's hospitalized and a bit more comfortable. __"It's more like a reminder that I'm stuck here for a long while…"__ \- Gaster thought to himself - __"But it's still better than the hospital gown, I suppose."__ Toriel was luckily very farsighting, so she had brought a large t-shirt and pajama pants from Gaster's bedroom. As she handed the clothing to him, Gaster nodded gratefully.  
"Hold on in here, Gaster. And you'll see, in the end, everything's going to be alright." - Toriel said with her motherly and reassuring tone.  
"We'll try to visit you if our duties allow us." - Asgore added - "But you can surely expect Sam and Piper come here often."  
"Ugh... Is that really necessary? They know I don't remember them, right?" - Gaster asked, a bit annoyed by it.  
"Of course it's necessary! If anything, it's for your own good." - Toriel said a bit firmly - "The more you see them, the sooner you might recover your memory."  
"You're right, Your Majesty…" - Gaster replied, with a defeated sigh.  
And soon, after they said their goodbyes, the Dreemurrs left the hospital. Gaster was now left all alone in his white and blank room. Gaster first went to the bathroom to change his clothes. Once he was done, he walked up to the window and looked through it. He had to admit that at least he had a beautiful view from here. He could see a bit part of the garden. There was a large area of grass, with a couple of firs which were high enough to partially block the view of the village. A couple of nurses and patients could be seen having a walk. It was summer after all, it was highly recommanded to have walks for some of them. __"Toriel and Asgore say that I succeeded the De-Code… If that's true, according to plan I was a medical doctor."__ \- Gaster mused - __"It's ironic, considering I'm in the shoes of a patient now."__ He got pulled out of his thoughts when he heard the nurse's voice.  
"I brought you your lunch."  
"...Thank you." - was all Gaster said in response.  
With a nod, the nurse put the plate down on the small table before walking away. Gaster sat down at the table and after gazing the food for a moment, he started to eat. He wasn't really hungry, but he guessed that if he didn't eat, the nurses and doctors would fuss about it. (And if they informed the Dreemurrs about it, he'd have to go through the latters' lecturing.) After making a couple of bites, he noticed a presence. Gaster raised his head, to see a person standing at the door frame. It was a cat monster and obviously a patient, since she was wearing PJs. She had light purple fur, which was so short, that it looked like it was her skin that was purple. She had light blonde hair and big golden feline eyes. Her mouth and nose looked more human-like (though, her canines were slightly more predominant than those of a human). Her hands were five-fingered, while her feet were cat paws. She also had a fluffy tail.  
"What?" - Gaster asked, as the cat monster was just staring at him.  
"I know who you are." - the cat replied, then smiled a bit - "You're W.D. Gaster, right?"  
And so, the cat monster entered the room and sat down on the second chair.  
"There's no way to mistake you for anyone else; your face was in all newspapers months ago! When I saw you pass next to my door, I immediately recognized you."  
"I know who I am, thank you. Even though some people claim I don't really. But who are __you__? I don't believe I invited you to come in."  
"Oh! My name's Patty. I'm from the room nextdoor!" - Patty said with a bright expression - "Since we're neighbours now, I decided I'd come say hello!"  
"Thing done. May you please leave my room now?" - Gaster requested - "I want to eat my lunch in peace."  
"...You didn't eat your jello yet." - Patty remarked as her eyes shone - "I __adore__ red jello… I wish they gave more of it."  
Gaster didn't reply anything to this and just kept eating, expecting it would encourage Patty to go away. But it didn't take long to notice that she had no thoughts about leaving.  
"Still here? I thought I requested you to leave." - Gaster repeated himself.  
"I was just thinking… I can tell by your face you don't have much appetite. So I thought that you could maybe give me your jello? Please? I'd really appreciate it." - Patty requested, with a look displaying that she really craved for that jello.  
"Didn't you get your own jello?" - Gaster asked.  
"I did, but I just want more of it." - Patty said in a slightly child-like manner.  
"They'll surely give some of it tomorrow. I'm not giving my food to strangers." - Gaster said firmly.  
Right after saying this, Gaster took the pot of jello and ate all of its content in Patty's eyes. She stared at him with wide eyes, blinked a couple of times, then let out a short sigh.  
"Well, I hoped you'd be more generous. But I guess that's how it is."  
Patty didn't sound mad or really upset. Just a bit disappointed. Gaster raised an eyebrow and said:  
"You do realize asking food from strangers is not something you do, don't you?"  
"Why not?" - Patty asked - "Strangers or friends, those are still people."  
"Well, it's just not something you do."  
"Who said that?" - Patty asked again, as she put her hands on her hips in a challenging manner.  
"I don't know..! I mean, I... It's just the common sense..!" - Gaster answered, sounding somewhat annoyed.  
"And who can tell what's the 'common sense', hmm?"  
Patty had a challenging look on her face, yet there was also a sort of playfulness in her eyes. The two monsters stared at each other for a brief moment, before Gaster let out an annoyed sigh and dramatically raised his hands.  
"Why am I wasting my time on this? There's no point in arguing with a crazy person anyway."  
Gaster came to the conclusion that Patty was insane due to her desire to challenge the most basic things, combined with the fact that she was a patient of the psychiatry ward. Thus, to him it was clear she had an insanity of a sort. After calling her crazy, Gaster almost expected a violent response from the feline monster. But surprisingly enough… Patty just grinned and answered him with the most casual tone.  
"Maybe because we're alike? If you still didn't cut short our conversation, you're surely a bit crazy yourself."  
"I am nothing like you. My mind has no equal, I'm probably the greatest genius in history!"  
"Oh but 'genius' is just a more positive word for 'crazy'. The genius is a drift from the normalcy." - Patty remarked with a clever smile - "After all, to get the idea of manipulating the space-time fabric and then actually do it, the person can't be completely sane, can they?"  
A moment of silence passed again. Gaster was staring at Patty with a very unamused expression. How dared she to insult him! Before he could come up with any kind of reply, Patty stood up from her chair and said enthousiatically:  
"Well, it was a nice and refreshing talk! I'm looking forward 'til we chat again!"  
"I am not." - Gaster replied flatly.  
"Sweet! See you later then, Gaster!" - Patty said with a genuine smile, before storming out of the room.  
Gaster stared at the door for a moment, then groaned and put his head between his hands. He was starting to get a headache.

That same afternoon, outside of the Mosnter Village, Noelle, Papyrus, Sans and the twins found a good area in the nature where they could do the magic training without bothering anyone or having material obstacles. Sans was planning to show Noelle a couple of things that their garden was too small for. The twins came along to watch, not being in the mood to do anything else. Sam and Piper obviously didn't take their father's amnesia well. But also, the return of Chara and her intentions scared them. But they had faith in their mother. The kids believed that she could handle the situation and save everyone once again. And so, Sam and Piper were now sitting under a tree, watching Noelle and Papyrus' fight. Papyrus started to make her do some exercises for the warm-up. Even though Noelle almost didn't have the occasion to actually fight, she didn't lose her magic and dodging skills.  
"YOU REALLY ARE A TALENTED PERSON, NOELLE." - Papyrus said with a serious and approving nod - "I THINK YOU'LL BE ABLE TO STAND AGAINST MY BROTHER."  
"I could stand against you, Dad. Why couldn't I stand against Sans?" - Noelle remarked with a light shrug.  
The young woman had clearly no idea what her uncle was capable of. In her mind, since her father almost became a guardsman and considering his high skills at magic, he surely already learned her everything she had to know. As much as she appreciated her uncle, Noelle couldn't see Sans being more "difficult" to face when it came to fights. After all, he was lazy as she could observe during the past seven months. (Noelle knew it was partially due to his depression, but it didn't change the mere fact.)  
"YOU... YOU'LL SEE ONCE YOU TRY, NOELLE." - Papyrus answered his daughter's question with a somewhat nervous look.  
Papyrus' expression really puzzled Noelle. Sans walked up to his brother, after what Papyrus said that he trusted Noelle to him now. Before stepping behind though, he requested his brother:  
"PLEASE DON'T BE TOO ROUGH ON HER."  
"sure thing, bro." - Sans replied with his usual easy tone - "at the end of the lesson, noelle won't be hurt __too badly__."  
The exchange surprised and worried Noelle. __"Okay, now I do have a bad feeling about this…"__ \- she thought. Papyrus then stood next to the twins under the tree, but with a worried expression on his face. Sans asked to Noelle:  
"ready, kid?"  
"I'm ready."  
Noelle barely finished her answer as her SOUL already turned blue, which caught her off-guard. In the time of just one second, she was lifted on the air before being dropped down again.  
"Wait, wha-"  
Noelle then gasped when she saw bones appear just beneath her and unluckily, she didn't have enough time to properly avoid them. She rolled aside on the ground, letting out a gasp of pain. Noelle didn't even have the time to catch her breath as her SOUL was no longer blue, but a bunch of bones flew in her direction in a pattern of a perfect wave.  
"What?! But..!" - she exclaimed as she did her best to avoid the attack.  
She did pretty well, but still got hit twice by the bones. As she fell on her knees and rubbed her head, her eyes widened when she saw four blasters appear around her, ready to charge.  
"Damn!" - she yelled, before jumping aside, avoiding the attack under the wire.  
She was familiar with the blasters, Papyrus had already showed his to her. But he barely used them during their trainings. Sans however, had no problem to use those skeletal heads at its maximal power. Noelle wanted to glare at her uncle, but she saw that the blasters have repositioned themselves in another angle, so she was targetted again.  
"Sans, stop it!"  
But the blasters fired again, and Noelle had again just enough time to jump out of the way, not without getting hurt on her shoulder in process. She let out a cry of pain and rubbed the injured spot. As she raised her eyes, she saw that two blasters were floating on her left and on her right, ready to fire. This time, since there were just two of those, it was less tricky to avoid them. Not having the force and time to stand up, Noelle literally just crawled out of the way.  
"What the heck, Sans?!" - she then screamed at the skeleton.  
When the two blasters disappeared and after Noelle double-checked that nothing was coming, she stood up and limped up to her uncle.  
"Are you trying to kill me?" - she yelled through panting.  
Papyrus, Piper and Sam were already at her sides, checking if she was alright. Papyrus had already placed his left hand over Noelle's arm and his right hand over her head, which emitted a green glow, healing the injuries.  
"Mom, how much does it hurt?" - Piper asked with concern.  
"I'm fine..."  
"Sans, it was too violent!" - Sam said to his great-uncle.  
But Sans ignored the boy's remark. Papyrus just finished Healing Noelle's injuries, who nodded to him in gratitude. Sans stepped up in Noelle's direction and spoke:  
"here's a tip, kid. wanna increase your chances? start by your hardest attack."  
"You could've just __told__ me so, Sans..!" - Noelle exclaimed - "I'll be the one making bones, not Chara! What was the point in making me go through this?"  
"'cause if i didn't show ya, the message woudln't be that clear." - Sans replied seriously - "you cannot know what to do to your enemy, if you don't experience it yourself."  
"But... but it was my first try! You could've gone easy on me!" - Noelle protested.  
"'go easy' you say?" - Sans asked back, before his eyesockets turned black - "your enemy will never 'go easy' on you. dodging quickly is __essential__ in a fight."  
Noelle felt sweat form on her forehead. She knew that Sans was actually right, but his power now frightened her a bit. How could she survive through this training? (She could always "come back" thanks to her determination, but the idea of death was no less creepy.) Almost as if guessing her thoughts, Sans' eyes became normal again and he said with his casual tone:  
"but don't worry. i'll never make your HP go down to 0."  
He then winked after his phrase. His statement reassured Noelle a little. __"I don't have a choice, after all. Chara killed dozens of monsters before striking the world down. She's certainly a very dangerous enemy. So I guess only an equally dangerous training will help me to survive."__ \- she mused. She then looked at her uncle with a confident look and declared:  
"I'm ready to take all the damage necessary, if it'll improve my dodging skills. I'll no longer complain, Sans."  
"ARE YOU SURE, NOELLE?" - Papyrus asked - "I JUST DON'T WANT TO SEE YOU HURT."  
"You'll always be here to heal me though, right?" - Noelle asked back with a small smile.  
"I GUESS YOU HAVE A POINT... BUT STILL."  
Papyrus didn't like the idea of Noelle submitting herself to pain during the training. He knew that Sans was right, he knew that it was the only way for Noelle to be ready when she'd face Chara. But Noelle was still his daughter, and so Papyrus didn't like to see her hurt, no matter the circumstances.  
"I wonder though..." - Sam said thoughtfully - "I remember reading that part in the comic book during the De-Code. It was stated that Sans' attacks can do damage only to those who sinned."  
"Right, I remember it too now!" - Piper exclaimed - "That was why Sans' attacks don't do anything to Papyrus, while it did hurt Asgore."  
"Because he killed… So I wonder why Mom's been hurt by the attacks? She didn't hurt anybody, she shouldn't be affected."  
"heh. now that you pointed it out, that's weird." - Sans said with a frown.  
"YOUR ATTACK DOESN'T BEHAVE NORMALLY? WE MUST TEST IT THEN!" - Papyrus said on his turn.  
Sans nodded and made a single bone appear. Papyrus then reached his hand to touch it and… nothing. Like usual, Sans' bone did no damage at all.  
"IT WORKS THE SAME AS IT DID BEFORE... AT LEAST FOR ME."  
"Hmm, that's curious." - Piper said as she reached her hand on her turn.  
"Piper, you should be car-" - Noelle started, but was cut off by her daughter.  
"It does nothing!" - Piper said, then turned to her brother - "You try now!"  
"Okay... Heh, it really does no damage." - Sam commented after touching the bone.  
"well, that's because you two did nothing wrong, kids." - Sans stated.  
"BUT NOELLE DIDN'T HARM ANYBODY JUST LIKE THE CHILDREN." - Papyrus pointed out with a puzzled expression - "THEN WHY YOUR ATTACKS HURT HER?"  
"noelle, what did you feel when you were hit by my bones or blasters?" - Sans asked.  
"I... don't know? I mean, your attacks came so quickly, I barely had time to register!"  
Noelle decided to touch the bone to understand. Hesitantly, she reached her hand and as soon as her fingers made contact with the magic bone, Noelle let out a gasp. Her eyes widened, before she shut them close.

__"No, I... can't do this… I can't be their mother..!" __

Noelle shivered a little and whined quietly as the voice of her sixteen years old self echoed in her head. She felt her sin weight on her neck. Everyone looked at her with concerned looks. The children grabbed Noelle's both hands, making her come back to her senses.  
"I understand now..." - she breathed out - "I understand why it does damage to me..."  
"Why?" - Sam asked - "You didn't kill anyone, did you?"  
"There are other ways to hurt people than killing them." - Noelle replied with a sigh - "Like... abandoning your children at their birth."  
"Mom... You already said you were sorry." - Piper said.  
"And we told you that it was alright." - Sam added.  
"It doesn't change what I did." - Noelle replied, avoiding her children's gaze - "I still gave you up, I left you at the mercy of fate."  
"BUT YOU HAD NO CHOICE, NOELLE." - Papyrus said on his turn - "YOU WERE ONLY SIXTEEN. YOU ONCE TOLD US YOURSELF THAT, IF YOU DIDN'T SUBMIT THEM FOR ADOPTION, YOUR CHILDREN WOULD'VE BEEN PLACED IN AN INSTITUTION! YOU COULDN'T HAVE KEPT THEM ANYWAY."  
"I still could've done something! It's true that they would've been taken away from me, but I could've fought for them once I turned eighteen! I could've fought to prove the system that I was worthy, that I could be a parent to the children. It would've been a very __long __and __difficult__ fight, considering my situation… but with enought effort, I could've got their custody." - Noelle clenched her fists and looked down - "I could have got them back… and I could've raised them, eventually. It would've just been difficult. But I've made my choice… and chose the __easy__ way."  
A pause of silence followed, Noelle's family members unsure of what they could say. Luckily, Noelle seemingly snapped out of her self-berating mood and said:  
"This attack would be a nice advantage against Chara, though. Considering her genocide, I think the amount of damage inflicted would be enormous. I wonder if I can learn this?"  
"uhh, not to disappoint ya, but i'm not sure kiddo." - Sans replied - "i mean, papyrus can't do that, so you're more likely like him than like me. you're his kid, not mine."  
"But... genetics can work weirdly sometimes! There are times when nephews and nieces get traits from their uncles and aunts. So… there __are__ chances I can do this too, right?"  
"yeah, but..." - Sans looked doubting.  
"Oh, don't tell me you don't believe in me, Sans?" - Noelle asked - "If I'm supposed to be a Savior, shouldn't I possess such a great ability? It might be just the thing that can save us all!"  
"WE'D NEVER DOUBT YOUR ABILITIES, NOELLE!" - Papyrus reassured her - "BUT YOU SHOULDN'T OBSESS YOURSELF WITH THIS ATTACK. YOU DON'T __NEED__ THIS TO WIN."  
"he's right. let's focus on your dodging and work on your patterns for now." - Sans suggested - "as for the _**_karmic retribution_**_… we'll see."  
"Alright... I'll work on patterns and dodging if you insist." - Noelle sighed - "This makes me think… Dad, could you perhaps train Sam and Piper at dodging? I want them to be ready when they'll face danger."  
"THAT'S A GOOD THOUGHT. I WILL TRAIN THEM, AND I WILL MAKE THEM EXCELLENT DODGERS!" - Papyrus promised with a solem tone.  
"Oh that's cool!" - Piper's eyes shone - "I want to be as cool and graceful during a fight as you are, Papyrus!"  
"NYEHEHEH! I'M SURE YOU WILL BE! AS LONG AS IT'S WHAT YOU TRULY WISH!" - Papyrus replied with a faint blush, pleased by his granddaughter's admiration.  
"Yes! That's what I wish! And I'll dedicate myself to make it come true!" - Piper said with a determined tone.  
Sam grinned at his sister's enthousiasm. He had a feeling she'd be better during the trainings that him. Piper was lankier than her brother, which was why she was better in some aspects at P.E. Both twins were relatively sporty actually, their strengths and weaknesses were just located in different areas. Sam was doing a good job at team sports, while Piper was better at individual exercises. Sam also had a stronger punching fist than Piper (not that she wanted to punch anyone).  
And so, for the next two hours, Papyrus trained Piper and Sam, while Sans trained Noelle. The twins were having fun, dodging their grandfather's attacks and their mood quickly raised. They almost forgot what was upsetting them; Papyrus had that power of his to fill people with positivity even in saddest hours. Noelle had a rougher training, but it wasn't as hardcore as Sans' first attack. Soon, Noelle learned to create complex patterns similar to Sans'. As for her dodging, she was surely progressing, but some work still had to be done. Luckily, Noelle was in a good shape. But dodging required a good stamina and alertness, which in turn required a lot of effort. It wasn't like with magic, something Noelle had a natural inborn talent for. It never took her long to master her patterns. Long the training, Noelle was pretty satisfied by her performance. Yet, the thoughts about the Karmic Retribution wasn't leaving her mind. She absolutely wanted to learn it. The thought of the advantage it provided simply fascinated her. __"Sans doesn't look thrilled to try teach me."__ \- Noelle mentally remarked - __"But it doesn't matter. I'll work on it by myself then!"__

Thing promised, thing done. Later that evening, when the sun was almost set and the twins were alseep, Noelle went in the garden where she could try summon KR bones without bothering anyone. Noelle sat down on the grass, closed her eyes and concentrated. She guessed that she just put in the proper will, like when picturing a normal bone. She pictured all the aspects, until she came to the property she seeked to succeed. __"Alright… I want it to contain Karmic Retribution… I want it to remind to my enemy their sins."__ \- she thought. Noelle then opened her eyes and saw that the bone was right in front of her. It looked exactly like she wanted… but would it also work the way she wanted to? __"There's only one way to find out."__ Noelle reached her finger to touch the tip of the bone. Instantly, she retrieved her hand, feeling like a shock, and gave her finger a quick lick to ease the pain.  
"It didn't work..." - she mumbled with a sigh - "It's just a regular bone."  
Noelle could tell by the difference of sensations. When she got hit by a normal bone, it felt like being normally hit. Sans' bones however, provided an unpleasant burning sensation flow across her veins. It was more as if a fatal poison was spreading. __"I failed to reproduce KR. But I'll try over and over until I succeed!"__ \- Noelle's mind swore. She tried. And again. And again. Eeach try gave the same result. Those were all just normal bones, without the KR effect. Noelle was probably at her twelveth try when she was rubbing her hand in pain.  
"Come on, why can't I do this?!" - she screamed in frustration - "Why can't I do something a guy with just one HP can?"  
As the bone in front of her dissipated, Noelle inhaled and exhaled shortly, perparing herself to try again. She put her hands in front of her with a concentrated look, but she got interrupted by an unfamiliar voice.  
"Be careful! Or at this rate, you'll lose all your HP!"  
Noelle looked up to see that a woman went out from behind the bunches planted at the limits of the garden. Noelle's eyes widened when she saw her. Light brown hair, a green shirt, red eyes...  
"Chara." - Noelle said with a calm tone.  
"Yeah, you got it right! Or you can call me 'Auntie Chara' if you want!" - Chara mockingly sugarcoated the last part.  
"No, I'll pass..." - Noelle narrowed her eyes at the woman - "What do you want? Don't come any closer! Or I'll..."  
Noelle made a line of bones appear in front of her, separating her from Chara. The latter just looked at the scene with an amused expression, then brought her hand to her mouth as if hiding an upcoming laughter.  
"Really? Is that all you can do?" - Chara asked before walking across the bones, not without getting damage - "I have plenty of HP, this feels like some tickling."  
Noelle stepped back, sweating nervously. She knew she should act now, but for some reason couldn't. __"Why don't I do anything to stop her..?"__ \- she wondered. Chara raised her hands and said with a grin:  
"Don't worry, I'm not here to hurt you. I'll save that for another day."  
"Then why are you here? I swear that if you attempt anything, I-"  
"You'll what? Call your uncle for help?" - Chara asked back with a tempting voice - "We both know you can't do the KR on me. Your regular bone attacks barely harm me, unless you're __very creative__."  
"You may be surprised. I'm a very creative person in general. And skillful at magic too." - Noelle said, resting her hands on her hips.  
"What a high self-esteem. Just like your dad!" - Chara commented as she started to slowly turn around Noelle, as though studying her with intimidation - "In fact, I came here to have a closer look on you. You're the first hybrid I see in my life. But you know what? Despite your magic powers, you're still a human. You... disgust me. One of your kind doesn't deserve to possess a gift belonging to monsters. You're an abomination, a shame for monsterkind!"  
Noelle felt her cheeks heat up in anger and she got a strong desire to punch Chara in the face for her words. But she didn't allow herself to act on impulse. She wouldn't satisfy Chara by showing off the worst of her humanity.  
"You don't like what you hear, huh? I know this feeling, I've heard so many things from people around. When hearing those nasty things, I always wanted to hurt them and make them regret their words. I'm pretty sure you want hurt me too right now, don't you?"  
Noelle looked away, not wanting to look into Chara's red eyes. Her evil "aunt" grinned and pursued.  
"Don't deny it, I know you do. And yet, you're too nice for that. That's why you never fought back, correct? That's why you can't master the KR. You and Sans aren't the same. Because no matter how angry you are, you don't want to kill me."  
Noelle didn't say anything. It was true that she had no will to kill Chara, just like she never wanted to kill anyone. Even when it came to the microscopic, yet very __living__, embryos. Noelle simply couldn't see herself killing anyone. Chara smirked once more, made one step towards Noelle, making her tense, and said in a half-whisper:  
"But soon... you __will__ want to kill me."  
After saying those words, Chara stepped back and disappeared from the sight, leaving Noelle stand in the garden alone and very troubled.

* * *

**A/N: I know that KR probably works just for kills (which isn't exactly confirmed though), I thought that it would be more interesting if Noelle experienced it herself, instead of just getting a theory lesson about it from Sans. KR surely doesn't work for little things, but making the decision to abandon your children is of a certain gravity, so I thought KR could work here. (Besides, I believe that Zarla implied KR would work for Gaster's sins regarding Sans and Papyrus... I'm not sure though, it could've been just my imagination.) So, I decided that KR would work for grave acts. It was also a way to show that, as much as Noelle's a lot like her two pacifist parents, she's not completely innocent. In her case, maybe KR wouldn't work the same way either? I imagine it would inflict only decimal damage, lol. **

**Now, about Patty, the new OC. I called her Patty because it's a cute name, plus it resembles Catty which makes sense since she's a cat monster too. For her looks, I inspired myself both from the cat monsters we see in "Undertale" and "Deltarune", and from Niko, the protagonist of the indie game "One-Shot". As for her personality, I took inspiration from a character of season 7 of OUAT. Said character is Alice/Tilly, one of the best characters, in my opinion. She has such a colorful and unique personality! Patty is meant to be that kind of character, to add a new spark in the story. I hope you'll love her. **

**This chapter was a calmer one... but expect things to take a much darker turn from the next one. **


	39. Chapter 39

**Here we go. The chapter when things take a really dark turn. Enjoy!**

* * *

"Chara visited you last night?" - Asriel exclaimed.  
"Yes. I was practicing my magic in the garden when she emerged from the bushes." - Noelle confirmed.  
After Chara's visit, Noelle didn't waste time to inform her parents and Sans about it. So the next morning, Noelle and Frisk went to New Home to report the Dreemurrs about it. They took the twins along for a better safety. After Noelle told about the event and the exchange she's had with Chara, Asgore got a thoughtful expression.  
"Is that really what she said? That soon, you'll 'want to kill her'?" - the king asked.  
"Yes, those are her exact words." - Noelle said with a nod - "I understand it as a foreshadowing of her future deeds. Chara's surely up to something very wicked if she claims that I'll get angry enough to wish her death."  
"If only we knew what she's planning…" - Toriel mused, then after a quick glance in the direction of the kitchen, she quickly stood up and exclaimed - "Wait! No, no, you're not doing it right, my children..! I... I'll show you now..!"  
Toriel then went in the kitchen, where Sam and Piper were busy baking something. The adults didn't want them to assist to the conversation, since the situation was too serious. Freaking the kids out was the last thing they wanted. To keep them busy and distracted, Toriel decided to show them a pastry recipe book, so the twins could bake something for their father. As Toriel disappeared in the kitchen and started to explain Something to Sam and Piper, Frisk said:  
"Well, Chara's certainly planning to hurt us. She wants to hurt me the most, because of what I did in that other timeline."  
"Mom…" - Noelle started.  
"I'm alright, don't worry." - Frisk reassured her - "I just meant that I understand why she's mad at me. I'm the one who showed her the wrong path, leading her to lose everything."  
"A different version of you, more exactly. But yeah, it doesn't make a difference to Chara." - Asriel said with a sigh - "I still don't understand one thing though - why does she claim that _our parents_ betrayed her?"  
"Tori and I were always doing our best to be her parents." - Asgore said on his turn - "We welcomed her as our own child… I really can't understand her anger… What did we do wrong?"  
"Chara's sadly the only one who can tell us..." - Asriel said, lowering his gaze.  
"Well, I guess the solution's simple then. I'm going to find her and ask her myself." - Asgore declared.  
"What? Dad, are you serious?" - Asriel asked.  
"It can be dangerous…"- Frisk added.  
"I understand your concern. And I'm must admit I'm a bit scared too." - Asgore said honestly to his children - "But I am her father. My daughter claims I haven't been a good one to her and craves for revenge! I have the right to understand, to know where I wronged her! So, I estimate that a talk is in order. And maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to reason her."  
"But Asgore, you don't even know where she is!" - Toriel pointed out, as she returned from the kitchen and heard Asgore's last part - "I mean, I'm curious about Chara's anger too, but where do we even start looking?"  
"Well, she has to stay the nights somewhere, right? I suppose the best places to look for Chara is at the hotels in the city."  
"That's a good guess, indeed…" - Toriel remarked.  
"Maybe I should come with you?" - Noelle offered.  
"I think it's not a bad idea." - Asgore replied with a thoughtful nod - "If things take a bad turn, I trust you to intervene. As long as nobody's hurt, of course…"  
"I understand. If Chara tries to hurt you, I'll stop her but I won't kill her." - Noelle promised.  
"Good. I'm going to the city to investigate." - Asgore said as he stood up from his chair - "Once I locate Chara, I'll give you a call, Noelle."  
"I have things to do meantime." - the young woman replied.  
"Like what?" - Frisk asked curiously.  
"Oh, I just must figure some things about my magic."  
"Don't tell me it's about that… Karmic Retribution attack?" - Frisk let out a sigh - "Like your father said, you don't _need_ this to win."  
"I get it, but I just want to understand! There are still things I don't know about my magic and about my hybrid nature. I do have the right to investigate my abilities, don't you think?" - Noelle answered with a slightly agitated tone.  
"Of course you do, Noelle. I never said the contrary." - Frisk said as she laid her hand on her daughter's shoulder - "Can you just not obsess yourself with one thing? It's not healthy for you. A wider vision is to prefer."  
"Frisk is right." - Asriel agreed with his sister - "Before, I thought there were only two outcomes in life, but you've proven more than once that there's a third possibility."  
"Yeah, I'll keep that in mind…" - Noelle sighed - "I'm just trying to understand, that's all. If KR's not an option, I promise I'll move on."  
Frisk and Asriel nodded in approval, after what Asgore went out of the house, to go to the city. Toriel got pensive as she gave another look in the kitchen. She turned to Noelle, asking:  
"Wait, if you're attending your errands now, who'll take the kids to the hospital?"  
It's been a couple of days now that Sam and Piper haven't seen their father. Thus they were planning to go pay Gaster a visit a bit later that afternoon.  
"I can take them there myself." - Frisk offered.  
"Nice, just be careful on the way there." - Noelle advised - "You're Chara's target number one, remember?"  
"I'll be mindful, don't worry."  
Noelle nodded and went out of the Dreemurrs' house on her turn. She was soon walking on the main street of the village, with Alphys' house as destination in mind. _"Alphys probably knows a bit about Dad and Sans' magic…"_ \- Noelle thought - _"Maybe she'll be able to explain how it works and why I can't make the KR attacks?"_ Despite her promise to not get obsessed, Noelle couldn't help but think about the KR. It fascinated and puzzled her. Why could Sans do it, while Papyrus, who was physically stronger, couldn't? Noelle wanted to figure it out and was determined to explore the KR possibility to its core!  
Meantime New Home, Toriel returned to the kitchen and studied the batter Sam and Piper made following the recipe. She smiled and nodded approvingly and then said to the twins:  
"It's almost perfect. May I fix it a little? To make sure the result's not messy once in the oven!"  
"Sure, go ahead. You know best in that area, anyway." - Sam replied with an easy grin.  
Toriel grinned. Sam's mannerisms often reminded her of Sans' ones. The boy resembled her friend in many aspects, but Sam was more active than Sans, and he expressed his negative emotions more freely. Now though, both he and his sister seemed to not think about their problem too much. Baking seemed to be a good distraction.  
"Alright, so all we have to add yet are bits of chocolate." - Toriel then said.  
"Oh wait, I was thinking..!" - Piper said, then showed colorful chocolate candy she found - "Can we use those instead? Please!"  
"I suppose why not?" - Toriel smiled - "It's still chocolate after all... Yes, this candy will give a more joyful aspect."  
"Why can't we just make it classic?" - Sam asked his sister.  
"Because classic is bo-ring!" - Piper answered with an unfased expression - "I say yes to creativity! Especially when there are more colors!"  
"You really must add colors everywhere, dontcha?" - Sam commented with a teasing tone.  
"Why, of course! I'm a very colorful persona!" - Piper declared proudly.  
Toriel couldn't help but smile at their exchange. _"I almost forgot what it's like to have children in the house…"_ \- she mused. It was with nostalgia that Toriel recalled the days when Asriel and Chara were having fun around. And then, came the days when it was Frisk. But years flew by quickly and before Toriel knew it, Frisk grew up and got married. More recently, Asriel returned and of course things weren't exactly the same, considering he was a grown-up young man. But it was nice to have someone who Toriel could take care of. (Even though she was paradoxally preparing Asriel for independance.) While Toriel and the twins were cooking, Frisk and Asriel were watching them at the doorframe. After a moment, Asriel said:  
"I don't know why, but I have a feeling she's thinking about us now."  
"Yeah, I have that feeling too." - Frisk replied.  
"Frisk... I just wanted to say… I'm not blaming you for Chara's return. Mom and Dad aren't either." - Asriel said, concerned for his sister - "It wasn't the you we know."  
"Don't worry about me, Asriel." - Frisk gave him a soft smile - "Papyrus already talked about the matter with me. I surely was shocked after Chara's revelation, but Papyrus made me feel much better. He said what truly matters is what we are here and now."  
"He's the most right." - Asriel said with a light nod - "But really… considering what the Underground made you go through… I can see why you would've cracked. I mean, the monsters were attacking you, trying to steal your SOUL, just because you were a human and ended up there out of bad luck. Not to mention my 'welcome'. It can drive one insane…"  
Frisk frowned thoughtfully. It was true that, despite her journey through the Underground being her most important and memorable experience, everything wasn't all white. There were some darker moments, like when she's been chased by Undyne through Watefall, or when she was forcefully put into Metttaton's crazy and stressing shows with a fight on live-tv, or when she had to face Asgore. Frisk shivered at the memory. Her battles against Omega Flowey or Asriel Dreemurr were the most psychodelic sequences, yet the moment she faced Asgore left a particular imprint. Frisk could still remember how uneven her breathing was when she was standing face to face with Asgore at the Barrier, how madly her heart was pounding in her chest. It was a moment when she thought that it was probably all over for her. If one had to live, the other had to die. And then, the battle itself… Asgore was a very strong fighter, with fire coming from everywhere and his giant trident! Frisk almost thought she'd never make it. And then… Frisk was equally marked by Asgore's speech right after the battle. Despite what Asgore made her go through and the fact he tried to take her SOUL, the king's words hit Frisk's heart. She could only empathize, and realized how heavy the crown must've been for Asgore. Frisk could still see the look on his face after his defeat. He was not only a king with a huge responsability, but he was also just a man who missed his lost family. As this memory replayed in her mind, Frisk suddenly paled.  
_"I just want to see my wife. I just want to see my child."_  
Did Frisk remember correctly? No, she must've misheard… or maybe her memory was playing her a trick. _"Did he really say… 'my child'? Instead of 'my children'?"_ \- Frisk wondered - _"Maybe it was just a slip of the tongue… But could it be that Chara somehow knows about it?"_ The memory of Asgore's words now really made Frisk wonder. Maybe that was what Chara was referring to when she claimed that Asgore and Toriel didn't really care for her?  
"Frisk, are you okay?" - Asriel asked in concern.  
"Y-yes, just some memories resurfacing..." - Frisk answered distantly.  
The young woman really hoped it was just a big misunderstanding. It would be really tragic if they all died because of a poor choice of words.

Meantime, Noelle made it to the house where Undyne and Alphys lived. Without waiting any longer, she rang the doorbell and kept the button pressed, being impatient. Soon, she could hear from the other side of the door:  
"I'm coming... Coming, damn it! Stop ringing that freaking bell, already!"  
Noelle quickly retrieved her finger from the button and the second after, the door flew open, revealing a quite irritated Undyne.  
"Don't you have any patie-... Noelle!" - Undyne's face quickly turned from grumpy to joyful - "It's so cool to see you! Come in, come in! Don't be shy!"  
Undyne stepped aside so Noelle could enter the house, which she did immediately. As Undyne closed the door, she kept talking:  
"Oh, and forgive my bad temper! Alphys and I are so busy with the relocation that I barely get any sleep, haha!"  
"You're moving to the city soon then." - Noelle said.  
In fact, Undyne was offered a job at the police station in the city, which she accepted. Undyne would be the first monster policeman of the city, which was another reinforcement of the cohabitation of humans and monsters. And so, she and her spouse would go live in the city in a couple of days, most of the packing being done. Noelle then asked how Undyne felt about the change, who admitted that she'd miss living around her closest friends, but she was also thrilled by the upcoming life, taking the best of the changes being essential. Noelle could only agree, then told her the reason of her visit.  
"Anyway, I came to see Alphys. There's an important matter I must talk with her about. Is she at home?"  
"Yeah, she's upstairs, carefully packing her favourite anime items!"  
The two women went upstairs, where they saw Alphys wrap the fragile items and put those in a specific order in the box, to make sure it wouldn't break during the transportation. Even after all those years, Alphys really cared for the anime goods. The yellow lizard was about to wrap another item, but she noticed Undyne and Noelle stand at the door frame.  
"O-oh! H-hi, N-Noelle! It's been s-some time now, huh..? How are you doing? W-what brings you here?"  
"Hello, Alphys. I came because there's something we need to talk about. Something you maybe can help me with."  
"...Sure, I'm glad to h-help if I can..! What is it, Noelle?" - Alphys asked.  
"It's regarding the specifics of my magic." - Noelle replied - "Something puzzles me about one specific attack that I'm trying to master."  
"Um... a-alright, I know a thing or two about skeleton magic… I'll explain anything you need to know, but… uh, is it okay that I finish this box first?" - Alphys said nervously.  
"Can't this wait?" - Noelle asked - "Your stuff won't flee anywhere."  
"I, uh... just don't want to leave it hanging before taking a break... Packing our things is all that we've been doing all the last week…"  
"Yeah, we need a feeling of progression before our breaks." - Undyne added - "What's the matter, Noelle? You're in a hurry, perhaps?"  
"No, no, not at all!" - Noelle replied with a hint of nervousness.  
She really didn't want to explain the reasons behind her need to know about the Karmic Retribution, to not freak them out. Undyne would've wanted to take the matter in her hands, which would postpone her and Alphys' moving to the city. Noelle didn't want to bother them with problems that concerned her family only. An idea then crossed her mind. She offered the two ladies to help them, so they'd be done faster for the day, after what Alphys could explain her the magic properties.  
"If... if it's okay for you, so the d-deal works for me." - Alphys said.  
"A pair of extra hands are _pretty much welcome_ now!" - Undyne exclaimed with a beaming expression - "There are so many things that still must be done today!"  
Noelle almost regretted her offer. Undyne was really eager to profit of her help, and so Noelle hoped it wouldn't be something too tiring.

Later that afternoon, at the monster hospital, Gaster walked out from his room to go in the common hall. There weren't many people around, considering that the cases of monsters with a mental illness were pretty rare (probably due to be lesser in number than humans). It didn't take long for Gaster to notice someone he met the previous day - Patty. The cat monster was sitting at a small table and playing checkers… against herself. Gaster froze in place, not sure of what he should do. He hesitated to move, afraid that Patty would notice him and engage a pointless conversation again. And Gaster didn't want to take the risk talking with a potentially dangerous person. Gaster didn't know her, nor what kind of illness she had. He couldn't predict what was going on in her head, so the best option was to avoid her. A nurse noticed that Gaster didn't seem at ease, standing in the middle of the room.  
"Is there a problem?" - the nurse asked.  
"No, I was just thinking..." - Gaster replied distantly - "Can you tell me about... this girl?"  
Gaster discreetely pointed at the lone Patty who, absorbed by the checkers game, didn't notice him. The nurse looked at her, then looked back at Gaster and said:  
"She's your neighbour and I assume you've already met?"  
"Yes... She seems eager to interact with me, and I want to know if I'm in danger around her." - Gaster expressed his concern.  
"In danger? No, Patty's absolutely not dangerous." - the nurse reassured him - "She's a bit crazy, but she's not 'that' kind of crazy. The worst that could happen is awkwardness. But she won't harm you. In fact, she's a sweetheart."  
"May I ask what's her, uh… 'problem', exactly? I noticed she likes to challenge the common sense."  
"Patty has an… uncommon view on things, yes. But her main issue is that she can't always distinguish fantasy from reality. That's all I'm allowed to tell."  
"I see..." - was all that Gaster replied.  
As the nurse resumed her business, Gaster stared at Patty for a moment. _"I have nothing better to do anyway…"_ \- he thought - _"If she gives me another headache, I'll just ask for some painkillers."_ He made two hesitant steps in Patty's direction, but immediately regretted it as the cat monster noticed him and her face instantly lit up.  
"Wing Dings Gaster!" - she exclaimed - "Don't be shy, you can come closer!"  
_"I have no choice now, I guess..."_ \- Gaster thought.  
He walked up closer and sat opposite to Patty. She was smiling friendly to him, and Gaster said after a short moment:  
"Hello... um, Patty was it, right?"  
"Yes! You got it right!" - Patty confirmed - "How are you doing today?"  
"I'm... fine, I guess? My situation didn't change since yesterday, you know." - Gaster replied.  
"Mine didn't either, and yet I always find a way to make of my day a good one!" - Patty said, still smiling.  
"I wonder how you do that, this place's dull." - Gaster remarked to himself, before asking - "So, you… you were playing checkers alone? It's pointless, when you have no actual adversary."  
"Well, I say there's no worse adversary than yourself." - Patty said, then added with a hint of disappointement - "Besides, nobody wants to play with me. They tend to avoid me, and I don't get why."  
"Trust me, there's no surprise about it." - Gaster replied a bit coldly, making Patty look down - "Honestly, I was reluctant to approach you."  
"And yet... here you are and talking to me." - Patty said with a soft smile.  
A silence followed. Gaster then crossed his arms and replied:  
"You're not really giving me a choice…"  
"So, shall we start a new checkers game?" - Patty asked.  
"Yes, let's start it. Winning against someone is what I need now."  
"Hey, don't say that! I still have a fifty percent chance to win!"  
"Fifty percent? Please, you're playing against a genius." - Gaster shook his head - "Your chances don't exceed five percent."  
"Ha-ah! So you're not invincible!" - Patty said with a victorious look.  
"I can potentially lose only against another genius like myself." - Gaster replied casually, then said - "You can make the first move."  
"A genius... or a madman? Those are pretty much the same thing, remember?" - Patty reminded him the conversation they had the previous day - "Doctors say I'm crazy, so I guess you're against a good rival!"  
"Hm? I'm not that convinced." - Gaster replied as he did his move.  
"You're stubbornly restricting your vision, Wing Dings Gaster." - Patty said, making her next move - "Why? If you're a genius, you know you must look beyond what sees the eye. Right?"  
"I do. That's how I accomplished things nobody else could." - Gaster answered, moving another pawn - "And what about you? What did your wider vision give you?"  
"It gives me just _everything_!" - Patty answered a bit dreamily, then sighed sadly - "But the doctors keep saying my wider vision is bad for my wellbeing, and make me take pills every day. But can I tell you a secret?"  
Patty then moved her finger in a motion that says to lean closer. Reluctantly, Gaster leaned his head just a little bit. But it seemed enough for Patty, who leaned closer on her turn and whispered:  
"I only pretend to take them."  
Gaster raised an eyebrow at this. He wasn't surprised, as it was rather common for psychiatry patients to not take the pills since they didn't believe they needed help. Patty obviously wasn't an exception. She surely believed that her problem wasn't one.  
"Let me gess, because the doctors are all wrong?" - Gaster then asked sacrastically.  
"Exactly! Finally someone understands." - Patty replied with shining eyes, clearly not catching the sarcasm.  
Gaster rolled his eyes at her response. The two kept playing for a short while until Gaster won the game. Patty pouted in disappointement, while Gaster looked proud of himself.  
"I told you I'd win." - he said - "You still have to convince me of your point."  
"Let's play again! I will win this time and you'll see that I'm right!"  
But before they could start another game, the nurse came to inform Gaster that his children came to visit him. Gaster groaned a little, not pleased by this. He wasn't ready to face the two kids now! Patty's eyes however lit up in wonder when she heard that.  
"Aww, you have children?" - she asked him - "You're a very lucky man! They're nice to come visit you. And they must be cute too!"  
Gaster didn't say anything as he stood up and walked out of the common livin room. Patty grew confused, not understanding Gaster's lack of emotions when hearing about his kids. And she had also noticed the subtle change in his expression. Not that Gaster was very expressive in general, but… Patty could swear that his face hardened a little. This really puzzled the cat monster.  
In the corridor, Frisk encouraged the nervous twins. The kids obviously were unsure about this visit, despite really missing their father, because they didn't know what to expect from Gaster in his state. But Frisk gently squeezed their shoulders as they were slightly leaning on her and talked to them with comfort and encouragement.  
"I can't possibly know what you're feeling now, I can only guess that it must be very hard for you. But as long as you stay determined, you will reach your father. You truly love him, then fight for him and never give up."  
"Like it worked for you, right?" - Piper asked - "Like you could save your friends and family from Asriel?"  
"Yes, I suppose the comparison can work." - Frisk smiled a bit.  
"But it's easy for you to say..." - Sam looked down - "You're a hero, while we're just... normal kids."  
"You're wrong, Sam." - Frisk protested gently as she shook her head - "You shouldn't call me a hero. Because the truth is… I wasn't that different from you two back then."  
"What do you mean?" - Sam asked curiously.  
"I was... a child. Just a child seeking a home. And I found one. Near the end of my journey, I realized that all those people I bonded with _were_ my home."  
"You've gained their love…" - Piper understood - "And then, you used _your_ love to save them. It's beautiful! So you think that with our love, Sam and I can help Dad remember?"  
"I'm sure you can." - Frisk said with a nod - "Love is probably the most powerful form of magic."  
Frisk and the twins exchainged smiles, the children becoming more hopeful now. Frisk hugged the twins once more time before a doctor came to inform that Gaster was now in his room, and that they could go see him. Frisk then let go of the kids and said:  
"I'll be waiting outside, near the front door."  
The twins nodded after what they went long a corridor, while Frisk went in the other direction, to the exit. When Sam and Piper arrived at Gaster's room, they found their father sitting at the edge of his bed, facing the window, his back turned to the door (and thus to the kids too). Nervously, the twins made a few steps in his direction. Gaster didn't move, but his tension could still be sensed.  
"Um… hello?" - Piper said hesitantly - "It's us, Piper and Sam. You've seen us a few days ago."  
"You could perhaps look at us?" - Sam suggested - "It's rude to ignore us when we're talking to you."  
"...I'm not ignoring you." - Gaster replied after a moment - "But you must realize how uncomfortable this is."  
The twins walked closer to him until they stood right in his sight. Gaster shuddered and backed away by sitting on his bed perperly against his pillow. The twins exchanged a look and guessed that approaching him more wasn't a good idea.  
"What are you afraid of?" - Sam asked.  
"I'm not afraid. I'm wary of humans, which isn't exactly the same." - Gaster answered.  
"Do you..." - Piper paused - "...hate us?"  
"It'll depend of your behaviour." - Gaster replied - "Right now, I don't… yet."  
"You're too positive you'll hate us... Why?" - Sam asked - "Is that because you don't trust us?"  
"I don't trust humans, no."  
A moment of silence followed. Then, Piper promised shyly:  
"Well, I promise that we won't ever hurt you."  
Gaster looked unconvinced by her words, but that was to be expected. Hesitantly, the children decided to move closer and stand from both sides of his bed. As they did, Gaster visibly tensed, but the children didn't move too close to not make him more uncomfortable. He relaxed just a little when he saw that they left him a minimal personal space.  
"How's your head? Does it still hurt?" - Piper asked, genuinly concerned.  
"It does hurt where my injury was, sometimes." - Gaster answered - "But most of the time, I'm fine."  
It was true that Gaster's skull mostly healed. The crack was now a barely visible thin line. If only psychic traumas could heal as easily as physical ones… But the kids still held into their hope. Sam then remembered something and said:  
"Oh, Piper and I baked something for you!"  
Sam then opened his backpack and pulled out a metallic box, which he opened in turn. Gaster looked at the box, then at the kids, then at the box again with what seemed like an unimpressed look.  
"Cookies?" - he then finally asked.  
"Yes, we baked it for you this morning!" - Piper confirmed.  
"It has... colored candy in it?" - Gaster remarked - "It's an… interesting choice."  
"It was Piper's idea." - Sam commented, then asked - "So, you won't taste one?"  
Gaster stared at the kids with a wary look, then crossed his arms over his chest. He wasn't about to accept any kind of food from them. They were humans, they surely were up to something! But the kids weren't impressed by his unspoken response. And so, Piper took one cookie in her hand and said:  
"Well, if you don't want it... I'll eat it myself."  
She started to eat the cookie, and her brother soon did the same as he took one on his turn. Gaster looked at them for a moment and then, he hesitantly reached the hand to the cookies. As he finally took one in his hand and made his first bite, the kids got victorious looks on their faces.  
"I thought you didn't want it?" - Piper asked with an innocently teasing tone.  
"I just guessed that since you're eating it, it can't be poisoned." - Gaster replied, without looking at her.  
The kids just exchanged another amused look, knowing that Gaster wasn't completely honest with them.

Meanwhile at the Undyne and Alphys house, Noelle and the two spouses finally took a break. Luckily, the tasks assigned weren't too difficult or as exhausting as Noelle feared. So, she was still pretty much going strong. After drinking a bit of water, she asked Alphys to explain what she came for in the first place, that is how the Karmic Retribution worked. Alphys got a pensive look for a moment, then she answered her question.  
"You see, it appears to be inherant to Sans and Papyrus' deepest nature, that is what makes them who they are." - Alphys replied - "You surely noticed that the two don't see things from the same angle?"  
"Yes, I did. Sans is one to judge people on their actions, and he believes that if you did something bad, punishement is the answer. Dad's another story; he looks beyond what meets the eye, he seeks what's in the depths of your heart. Thus he thinks forgiveness is the solution, because it gives another chance to your good side." - Noelle described the difference.  
"I couldn't explain it better." - Alphys nodded - "This is why Sans has the KR, while Papyrus doesn't. Sans wants people to face their sins and suffer the consequences. The KR makes the enemy go through just that. Papyrus, however… is all about second chances, he doesn't have it in him to punish the guilty. Which is why he doesn't have KR."  
"So, are you saying that... if I don't have the desire in me to make the sinner pay, I simply… _can't_ master the KR?"  
"Well, uh... I'm afraid that... if you're m-more a lawyer than a prosecutor, then… n-no, you can't."  
Noelle felt in a way defeated. So, she just didn't have _the thing required_ to master the KR. It was true that there was a big difference between Justice and Mercy. And Noelle knew she was more the second than the first. Could her reluctance to punish eventually lead to her own end? The ring of her cellphone pulled Noelle out of her thoughts. It was Toriel.  
"Noelle, Asgore found Chara's whereabouts." - her goat grandma said on the other side of the line - "You should return to New Home, and then the three of us shall find her."  
"Alright, I'll arrive in no time." - Noelle replied, before hanging up.

It wasn't much later that Asgore, Toriel and Noelle arrived at their destination. Chara apparently leased a room in a small hotel in a little and not very crowded street. It was the perfect place to remain unnoticed. After parking the big car, Asgore and Toriel instructed Noelle to stay in - preferably hidden - while they would wait for Chara to show up near the front door of the hotel. Noelle did as instructed, she lowered her head but her eyes focused on the outside view. She had to be ready to act at any moment. The Dreemurrs waited for around five minutes before Chara exited from the hotel. She looked at them with a not very welcoming glance.  
"I've seen you through my window. And I know that you came here earlier, 'Dad'." - she said the last word sarcastically - "What do you two want from me? I believe I told Asriel I don't want to see you."  
"We know, and that's exactly why we're here." - Asgore said - "Your mother and I are trying to understand why. What did we do to you so you hate us that much?"  
"Don't call her 'my mother', don't call yourself my parents, because you're not!" - Chara said angrily - "You two welcomed me in your house, but you never truly cared for me. You just _used_ me."  
"Chara, please don't say that..." - Toriel pleaded - "Whatever we did to upset you, we're sorry. Just please help us understand..!"  
"What do you mean, when you say that we 'used' you, Chara?" - Asgore asked.  
"You really don't know?" - Chara asked then let out an irritated sigh - "You have always talked about me merely as an ally and defender of monsters, your chance of freedom, the hope of peace between our races, or whatever you like but _not_ as your daughter!"  
"That's... that's not true Chara, I..." - Asgore started, shocked by what Chara was blaming him for.  
"It _is_ true! Even when I was _dying_, your main concern was about me being 'the future of humans of monsters'!" - Chara yelled at him - "You didn't care that I'd be gone, you just needed me as your peacemaker!"  
"No... you're wrong, I didn't... I cared for you as much as for Asriel. I didn't realize I made you feel like you didn't matter on a more personal level. If it's really my fault that you feel that way, then I'm really sorry." - Asgore apologized.  
"You don't expect me to forgive you just like that? Especially that your apology's not genuine?" - Chara replied with a dark look - "Had you cared for me, you wouldn't hide my body in some basement! Even after my death, I was nothing but a _tool_ for you!"  
Asgore looked down, ashamed of himself. He knew that Chara had a point here. Even though he's been raising her as his daughter, he was ready to use her SOUL to break the Barrier. It was probably worse than taking the SOULs from extraneous children.  
"And you..." - Chara then glared at Toriel - "Even though you had the decency to give me a proper burrial, I've been just one child among many others that you could nurse!"  
"Chara, please calm down, we can explain ourselves…" - Toriel requested - "Things are much more complicated…"  
"Is it?!" - Chara snapped - "I don't want to hear your excuses, I've seen enough by myself!"  
Chara then pulled out her knife, making her former parents' eyes wide in horror. Noelle has seen it too from the car and so she tried from there to summon some bones. She concentrated, thought of a simple pattern and then… for some reason, her magic got wonky. Noelle managed to make the bones appear, but stangely she couldn't maintain it properly. It was twinkling, threatening to dissolve in the air before Noelle could do anything. _"What's going on…?"_ \- she asked herself - _"Why does it do that? Come on..!"_  
"Chara... You don't have to do this..." - Asgore tried to reason his fallen daughter as he and his wife were backing away.  
"I don't... but I _want_ to." - Chara's eyes turned redder - "It felt so good to kill you the first time... I'll gladly do it again."  
Before Chara could hit Asgore with her knife, the king made a barrier of flames between him and Chara. As Toriel looked at Chara through the flames, she could tell that fire wasn't something that would stop her for very long. This scared Toriel, so she yelled:  
"Noelle!"  
Noelle, who was still struggling with her magic panicked and jumped out of the car and she shouted, with all the panic, frustration and fear for her grandparents she felt at that moment:  
"Come... on!"  
And so, her bones worked normally again and she efficiently made it fly in Chara's direction. Chara, after Toriel yelled Noelle's name, had turned her head and thus got some of the bones hit her face. With a cry of pain, Chara fell on her hands and knees, a few blood drops falling from her nose. But then, she almost laughed in hysteria.  
"Ha... ha ha... you... you are all idiots... Instead of wasting your time with me here, you should've... made sure Frisk's safe..."  
"What do you mean?!" - Noelle asked, getting alarmed.  
Chara didn't answer. But she didn't have to for Asgore to understand that she was up to something. Without wasting time, he and Toriel rushed to the car, grabbing Noelle by her arm in process, after what the three of them drove away. Chara grinned evilly as she watched the car leave her sight. In the car, with shaking hands, Noelle tried to dial Frisk's number. When she did, she was greeted by the voicemail.  
"Why aren't you answering the phone, Mom..?" - Noelle said with a panicking voice.  
She tried again, but after her third try, she gave up in frustration and mentally prayed that they wouldn't be too late. Asgore wasn't saying anything, but Toriel could see anger but also the fear to lose his daughter on his face. The drive back home felt like an eternity. When they finally reached Frisk's house, they rushed in almost breaking the doorknob. And as they entered the house… they saw Frisk sitting on the couch, alive and well.  
"What's that rushed entrance for?" - she asked with a confused look.  
"Mom... thank goodness..." - Noelle breathed out in relief.  
"Oh Frisk, we were so scared, we thought something happened to you..!" - Toriel said as she pulled her daughter in a tight hug.  
"No, I'm alright I think... what made you believe that?"  
"It doesn't matter..." - Asgore said as he lovingly gave Frisk's hair a stroke - "You're alright, that's what truly matters."  
"And I guess the kids are okay too?" - Noelle checked.  
"Yeah, they're upstairs in your room." - Frisk replied, making Noelle breathe out again.

The evening went on rather calmly. Chara was nowhere to be seen and this reassured Noelle at some level. She was glad and relieved that her mother was alright, but she was also concerned about her magic. Why did it suddenly stop working properly? A little more, and Asgore and Toriel would've been… If Noelle couldn't have proper control of her magic, she didn't stand a chance against Chara! Those were Noelle's current concerns. As for the others… the twins were doing rather okay after seeing Gaster. It did hurt that he didn't remember them, but at least he wasn't pushing them away or being too mean. And Papyrus, when he returned home from the embassy and learned about Chara's subtle threat, he obviously freaked out. And so he suggested Frisk to not go to the embassy or leave the village until the problem was solved.  
"I JUST WANT YOU TO BE SAFE! YOU SHOULDN'T WANDER ALONE WITH WHAT'S GOING ON!" - he said.  
"Alright, if you insist. You're always so caring to me. I'm a very lucky woman to have you." - Frisk replied with a mildly seductive smile and voice, making Papyrus blush.  
"O-OF COURSE I AM..! YOU'RE THE WIFE OF THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AFTER ALL!"  
Later, when everyone in the house was asleep, Frisk quietly stood from her bed and walked out of the bedroom in the dark. Once in the corridor, she glitched out of the scenary, after what she found herself in a world of darkness. She then glitched again, revealing her true appearance. It wasn't Frisk, but Chara. The woman grinned at herself, then let out a mad laughter. _"It was just so easy..!"_ \- she thought to herself - _"They didn't even notice!"_ Once Chara calmed down and turned her head to look at her left. There was sitting _the real_ Frisk.  
"Chara... What did you do..?" - Frisk asked as she rubbed her head in pain.  
"Finally awake, I see?" - Chara commented, then walked closer to her enemy - "Your head hurts? I had no choice but to knock you down, your squirming and yelling was quite annoying."  
"What did you do?" - Frisk repeated her question - "And where are we?"  
"My dear Frisk, this is where I come from. We're at home, but in my timeline!" - Chara answered, then added with a humorous sarcasm - "Sorry, the oranment's not the best. It tends to happen when the world's destroyed."  
"What..? You plan to keep me prisoner here?! No, that's not gonna to happen! You can't keep me here forever, my family's going to look for me!" - Frisk said with a defiant expression.  
"Oh, but how can they look for you, if they don't even know you're missing?" - Chara said, then shortly demonstrated her transformation.  
Frisk's eyes widened. She understood. Shaking her head, she said:  
"No... No, no..! Please don't do that! Why... why don't you just kill me?"  
"Ah, but you see, if I kill you, it'll be the end. I, however, want to make you suffer." - Chara explained as her evil grin widened - "I want you to live while knowing that I took everything from you. Just like you took everything from me."  
Frisk paled and slowly started to tremble. The idea of it made her sick. _"No... This can't be…"_ \- she thought - _"It can't be happening… It's all just a bad dream..!"_  
"I know what you're thinking. Yet, it's all very real. It's a nightmare you'll never wake up from." - Chara said - "Your parents, your daughter, your grandchildren, even your husband... they're completely oblivious of your disappearance. When looking at me, they'll see you and when thinking they love you, they'll actually love me! Life will go by and you won't be part of it. You can call for their help, but they won't hear you. Gods, I'm such a genius coming up with such a perfect revenge!"  
Frisk didn't say anything, just a single tear slid down her cheek.  
"Well, as much as I enjoy gloating, I have to go. I must return to bed before _our_ husband notices I'm gone. Have a good night!"  
As her evil grin widened, Chara glitched away before Frisk knew it. And so, Frisk just stared at the spot where Chara stood just a moment ago, and then she she put her face between her hands and started to sob. _"No... Chara will… she'll be sleeping in our bed, next to my Papyrus…"_ As the thought crossed her mind, Frisk let out a broken cry, then cried her eyes out for around an hour until she just passed out.

* * *

**A/N: When Frisk says that love is probably the most powerful form of magic, it's actually a direct reference to the recurring quote from "Once Upon A Time" that says that "love is the most powerful magic (of all)". This quote will be important this arc.**

**About the grudge Chara has towards Asgore (and Toriel)... To make myself clear, I'm not saying that in my headcanon Asgore had been a bad father. I have no doubts that Asgore genuinely loved Chara. It's just that while re-reading some stuff from both "Undertale" and "Handplates", I noticed that Asgore talks about Chara mostly as a potential peacemaker between humans and monsters. And in the actual game, when I first saw Asgore say "I just want to see my child", I've immediately though: "Wait, and what about your other human child?" Especially that in the French version of the game, he doesn't say "child", but "son" (which makes even clearer it's Asriel he's talking about). Again, I'm not saying that Asgore didn't actually care for Chara and those are just details. But those details did catch my attention and so I decided to use those in profit of my story. **

**Concerning the Karmic Retribution explanation, it's actually my personal theory of why Sans does have it while Papyrus doesn't. Maybe that's not the actual reason, only Zarla (or maybe Toby Fox) can confirm or contradict it. I just thought this explanation made the most sense, so I used it here. I mean, Sans was made of Gaster's _left_ hand (=Fight) and Papyrus was made of Gaster's _right_ hand (=Mercy).**

**And finally, about Frisk's abduction by Chara... I got the idea by remembering season 3 of "Fringe" (another of my fav shows!) and the Olivia/Peter/Fauxlivia triangle, actually. I know, the thought that Chara replaced Frisk without Papyrus and others noticing is a... scary and sad thought. Trust me, my heart was bleeding when I wrote this. But Chara's here to make Frisk suffer, so she has to actually do something. And this subplot is very important regarding character developement. Just... hold on. Okay? **


	40. Chapter 40

Noelle was sleeping on the folding bed she put in her bedroom (since she lent her bed to the twins), but her sleep wasn't really peaceful. Something was bothering her through her sleep, and it certainly had to do with the recent events. Since Chara showed up, Noelle was scared for her family, but she also felt as though she maybe wasn't good enough to face her. Noelle frowned in her sleep. She was having a vision. Even though she was sleeping, Noelle could still someway make the difference between a dream and a vision. A vision provided only images; there were no sounds or sensations. But there was something else about visions that made Noelle feel different when having one, that couldn't be explained. Experiencing it was the only way to understand.

__Noelle could see a familiar landscape. It was somewhere beneath the Mount Ebott, not too far from the village. The Sun was setting. A few steps away from her was standing Chara. She was holding her knife in hand with a tight grip. She was too far, so her expression couldn't be read. After a moment of just standing there, Chara raised her knife and rushed straight to Noelle…__

Noelle gasped as her eyes opened at once. She let out a shaky breath, then put her face between her hands. Did she just see an upcoming battle between her and Chara? And why did it stop so abruptly? The last thing Noelle saw was the knife ready to strike her down. But what was coming next? Did Chara succeed to kill her? Did Noelle dodge the attack? Noelle had no idea. __"But I guess there are only two possible outcomes of this battle… Either Chara kills me, or I kill her."__ \- the woman pondered - __"I don't want to kill anyone. But if I refuse to fight, she won't be mercyful. And thus, the only way to not die is to kill her. But I can't..!"__ Noelle's breathing became unsteady as those thoughts rushed in her head. What could she do in this situation? Could her pacifism actually get her killed? __"What if I don't have what's required to stop Chara..?"__ \- Noelle asked herself - __"In that case, we're all doomed."__  
"Mom? Are you okay..?" - Sam suddenly asked.  
Noelle looked up to see that her son was looking at her. Considering the look on his face, he probably just woke up. Piper was lying next to him, still sound asleep.  
"...Yes. Don't worry about me, Sam." - Noelle replied.  
Sam guessed that his mother was thinking about Chara and all the rest. As for her, Noelle just didn't want to burden Sam or Piper with her dark thoughts. The twins already suffered enough due to Gaster's amnesia. Listening about Noelle's fears wasn't what they currently needed.

Later that day in the hospital, Gaster was sitting on his hospital bed, staring at the blank page of a new notebook for a long moment. He was occasionally tapping with his pen on the page until he let out a sigh and started to write down what was on his mind.

Entry n°1

__It's been a few days now since I woke up in the hospital, with an apparent amnesia. It looks like I'm stuck here for a while, so I better occupy myself by starting a new journal. I have nothing more productive to do here. Also, the doctors say that writing my thoughts down could help me remember. I just hope they won't try to steal the journal to study the depths of my psyche. I don't need their help. I'll have to find a stash for my journal.  
Anyway, I'm still very puzzled. I just don't understand how amnesia could've happened to a mind as great and intelligent as mine. I'm a genius, not some soap opera character! Amnesia couldn't have just… hit me like that! Quite literally. Because it appears that my amnesia is a result from a hard knock on my skull. I guess I should be grateful it didn't take away any of my other mental abilities. I wouldn't be me, without my intellect. But still, losing memories is losing an essential part of my mind. I lost twenty-two years of my life, and quite eventful ones. When I think about it, I feel… frustrated. None of the things Toriel told me felt familiar. Even when I try to remember by myself, I just can't. Everything is blank. Sure something must trigger some memories, right? Speaking of that…  
I'm even more confused by my foolish decisions during those lost twenty-two years. The kids. Just why the heck did I adopt children, who are nothing but humans? I must've gone through some kind of crisis during the De-Code to come to this. But what can possibly be worse than my current amnesia? Those questions make me want a cigarette. Unfortunately, I cannot smoke here… and according to Asgore, I quit smoking months ago. How could I? It must be those two humans' fault. Humans always take your joys away. So far, they didn't display any signs of aggressiveness. Since my warning with my blue magic, they didn't attempt to touch me again, to my relief. Yesterday, they came to visit me and stayed for around an hour or so. They even brought me homemade cookies. A primitive attempt to gain my affections. They act towards me in a "kind" way. But I'm not letting my guards down. The twins must be up to something. __

"Glad I found you here." - a familiar female voice said.  
Gaster closed his new journal and slit it under his blanket. He looked up to see that Patty was in his room, standing at a few steps of distance from his bed. The feline woman smiled at him and asked:  
"Shall we have a new checkers play, Wing Dings Gaster?"  
"If it doesn't bother you to lose, I'm for it." - Gaster replied as he stood from his bed, while Patty pulled out her tongue at him - "Oh and… there's no need in calling me by my full name."  
"How should I call you then? Wing? Dings? Wing Dings? Gaster? Dings Gaster..?" - Patty asked - "There are too many possibilities."  
"Just 'Gaster' is fine…" - the skeleton said with a sigh - "You love seeking issues where there's none, don't you..?"  
"I don't. You should've just been more specific." - Patty replied with a shrug.  
"Whatever."  
The two headed the common living room, where they sat at the same table that the day before. As they proceeded to place the pawns on the checkers board, Patty said with a smile:  
"By the way, I had no idea you had kids."  
"...You couldn't know that. You first met me in this hospital." - Gaster replied.  
"But why did you never tell me?" - Patty asked with curiousity.  
"Well, first because we're basically strangers." - Gaster pointed out with a serious look, then averted his gaze - "And second, I wouldn't talk about someone I don't remember."  
"What..? Oh, I get it..! You have amnesia!" - the cat's eyes rounded as she understood - "That's why you're here in the first place, correct?"  
"Not that loud." - Gaster instructed.  
"We're in the psych ward, Gaster. No point in saving your dignity, here."  
"But still, I don't like shouting about my personal life from the rooftops."  
"Nobody does that, it would be a weird idea. And dangerous too." - Patty said and, before Gaster could tell her it was merely an expression, she added - "This is why the expression makes no sense to me."  
"Ugh... Shall we play or not?" - Gaster said with a short annoyed sigh.  
"Sure! I'm first!" - Patty made her first move - "What were we talking about again..? Oh, right! Kids and amnesia. Does that mean that because of your amnesia, you forgot your own children?"  
"...Yes."  
"Oh, but that's tragic!" - Patty said with a shocked but full of sympathy expression - "But... you saw them yesterday! How are they like?"  
"They're… humans." - Gaster replied with a shrug, before moving his pawn.  
"Humans? Why? Wouldn't they be skeletons like you?" - Patty asked with a curious and interested look.  
"They've been adopted. Apparently."  
"That makes sense…" - Patty said thoughtfully - "You must feel sad, for not remembering them?"  
"How can I feel sad? To me, it's like I never knew them."  
Patty frowned before moving her pawn. She and Gaster played for a little while until the former scientist won again. Patty looked at the checkers board with disappointement.  
"Nuuuuuuh...!" - she whined - "How is that possible? I was pretty sure I'd win!"  
"I told you." - Gaster said, a pleased look on his face.  
"No, I refuse my defeat!" - Patty yelled - "I wanna play again! I can win against you!"  
"If you want so. But you'll only face another disappointement." - Gaster said, confidently setting the game again.  
Patty rolled her eyes, but without actual annoyance. Gaster and Patty played again, and once more Patty lost. As the cat monster looked Gaster remove the last pawn from the board, she whined:  
"No, nooo! It's not faaaiiir… Why do I always lose..? It just can't be..!"  
Gaster just made a move with his hands, as if wordlessly reminding her of his previous warning. It annoyed Patty even more, who hit the table with her palms and yelled:  
"Argh! No, there __must__ be a way for me to win! I __can't__ constantly lose, that's __impossible__!"  
The skeleton was looking at her with an unimpressed yet curious gaze as she was whining. Then, he asked her:  
"Stop whining like a child. Just how old are you?"  
"I don't know..?" - Patty answered after short thinking, then shrugged - "And I don't care, honestly."  
Gaster scoffed at this first, but as he saw the look on her face, he realized that she was actually being serious.  
"Wait… are you serious? You __don't know__ how old you are?" - he asked with a bewildred look.  
"Yeah." - Patty shrugged again - "My age doesn't matter to me. I think it shouldn't matter to anyone."  
"But of course age is important..! It's-"  
"It's just another restriction put upon us by society." - the cat monster interrupted him - "Think about it. The only reason why people care about age is just to adopt a certain behaviour. But I don't get why a child can play with toys while a grown up can't. Just why couldn't I play with plushies or dolls simply because I feel like it?"  
"Well… it's true that technically…"  
Gaster then stopped, unsure if he should agree or disagree with Patty's statement. On one hand, it was commonly agreed that one stops playing with toys after reaching a certain age. And yet… he had to admit that there was some truth in Patty's words. Why couldn't one feel free to do whatever they loved just because people say that "it's not what you do"? Patty seemed to have noticed Gaster's thoughtful look and her face immediately lit up.  
"You agree with me! I can see it, you do!"  
"I don't agree. I just thought that you're maybe __not entirely wrong__."  
"Thus you agree. Admit it!" - Patty smiled with a cat-shaped smile.  
"Think whatever you like, I just don't want to argue." - Gaster replied, without meeting her gaze.  
As he briefly looked at her face, he could tell she was very satisfied. It was a bit annoying, so he decided to compose himself.  
"But you still have some work to do to convince me of your point of view regarding our minds." - Gaster said - "I keep winning against you in checkers. Which implies a genius and a madman are different things. Thus, you and I aren't the same."  
"Oh yes, we are." - Patty grinned widely, revealing a bit of her canines - "Just wait 'til I win. And you'll have no choice but admit I'm right."  
"There's no harm in dreaming, I guess." - Gaster replied, yet without sounding nasty.

Meanwhile, Noelle was training her magic in the garden. Or rather, she was trying to. Because since he incident with the Dreemurrs the previous day, her magic was all wonky. For some reason, Noelle had no proper control of it. And she was trying to understand why. When she was making some breakfast, she had accidently turned Papyrus' SOUL blue. She quickly apologized, but the incident worried her, to say the least. Her bones weren't steady either, Noelle could barely maintain it physical long enough before the magic dissipated.  
"I don't get it... Why is it doing that now?" - Noelle was talking to herself as her frustration grew - "Now, when I need my magic the most?! Come on, work already..!"  
As Noelle was desperately trying to make her magic work properly, she was completely oblivious that she was observed by Frisk (who was actually no other but Chara in disguise) through the window. Chara smiled wickedly at herself, enjoying Noelle's loss of control over her magic. __"Her mind's unstable… She's certainly scared. That's just perfect."__ \- she thought, feeling victorious. She then gasped as she felt two hands rest on her shoulders. She looked around to see that it was Papyrus.  
"Papyrus, you... you startled me."  
"SORRY, I DIDN'T MEAN TO." - Papyrus replied as he wrapped his arms around his wife's upper body.  
Chara tensed in Papyrus' embrace. But she gave him a weak smile, to show as though she liked that.  
"WHAT'S WRONG, FRISK? YOU WERE A LITTLE… DISTANT TODAY."  
As soon as Papyrus said it, Chara turned around and hugged him back. She couldn't allow him to question her behaviour towards him, or he'd get suspicious. __"He's a guy who loves physical contact…__" - Chara thought to herself - _"If I want him to believe I'm Frisk, I better give him lots of those. …I guess I must suffer a bit to relish my revenge."_ Chara then looked up at Papyrus with the sweetest look she could manage and smiled widely.  
"What are you talking about, Papyrus? I'm not distant." - she said innocently - "I suppose I was just a bit distracted."  
Chara then burried her face in Papyrus' shirt, pressing her cheek against the ribcage she could feel through the fabric. Papyrus' hold around her tightened a little, as he said:  
"I'M RELIEVED YOU'RE OKAY. JUST DON'T HESITATE TO TELL ME IF ANYTHING'S BOTHERING YOU."  
"Don't worry, I'd never hide anything from you." - Chara said sweetly, gently stroking Papyrus' arm.

The next day was another day for Gaster to write a new journal entry.

Entry n°2

__I found where to hide this journal from the medical staff. Not very original, considering the restricted possibilities. Under the mattress seems to be the best hideout. Nothing much happened in the last twenty-four hours. I won two games of checkers yesterday against my neighbour. She's very strange. And I have a feeling it's just the top of the iceberg. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. After all, I'm in a psychiatry ward, what else to expect from the people there? Yet, she's been surprisingly nice to me. I called her insane more than once, and she doesn't mind. Selfawareness is a quality.  
I'll get the visit of a therapist later this afternoon. I don't want to talk about my amnesia with anyone. But they don't care of my opinion here. I suppose meetings with the therapist are unavoidable.  
__  
Gaster closed his notebook and hid it under the mattress. And so started another day in the hospital. The first half of the day hadn't been very eventful. In the late afternoon however, the therapist came to Gaster's bedroom to chat for an hour. Gaster was of course not very cooperative. He wasn't the kind of man to talk about his problems, let alone with strangers. But his behaviour wasn't unusual for the therapist. That's why he didn't need to hear that much from Gaster to come to a conclusion.  
"From what I understand, you still hold a big grudge against humanity for the pain they caused to monsterkind." - the therapist remarked - "And it also appears that this hatred towards them has been a fundament for your developement as a person."  
"I guess so… You're telling me what I already know well myself."  
"But I think that the fact you take your dislike for humanity as defining of who you are is what blocks your memories of your children."  
"What do you mean?" - Gaster asked with an impassive expression.  
"What I mean is... After you woke up with amnesia and you've been told that you have human children, your dislike for humans, that you hold into, was challenged with a new reality. Knowing that you raised and loved human kids as your own questioned everything you knew about humans and, most importantly, about yourself." - the therapist explained - "Your mind just wasn't ready to this."  
"...It's true that, when I heard the King and Queen telling me about being a father to the human twins, it sounded as though it was about some other man. A man that isn't me." - Gaster admitted, looking down.  
"A cognitive disharmony." - the therapist said with a nod - "Such thing is difficult to handle, especially when it comes to your own persona. Your psyche blocks all memories related to the children, because you feel more comfortable with your old self."  
"So, are you telling me that I must just accept that 'upgraded' version of me? Just like this?" - Gaster asked with an unimpressed look.  
"Well, you'll eventually have to. But such a process takes time. For now, all I request you is to… simply ponder on the matter. Take your time to ask yourself what you're comfortable with or not in your both lives."  
Soon after giving his advice, the therapist left Gaster alone. The skeleton wasn't sure how to digest the said during the dialogue. As he tried to think about the cognitive disharmony his mind was dealing with, his head started to ache. He brought his hand to his forehead and let out a small groan. Gaster hated to think about the issue too much, the following headaches being one of the reasons. He kept sitting on his bed for a while until he decided to go look for a nurse and ask if they had painkillers. He stood up from his bed and walked out of his room. In the corridor, he passed next to Patty's room. Her door was open and something quickly caught Gaster's attention. He stopped and looked inside. Patty was sitting on her bed with an empty pot in her hands. She didn't notice him, she had her eyes closed. She seemed to be concentrating on something. Yet, her face was relaxed. Patty then put her index in the empty pot and made one swift circular move inside, before bringing it back to her face and… she sucked on it. Patty let out a moan, the kind you have when you eat something very tasty. Her eyes still closed, Patty got a wide happy smile. Gaster had a look of confusion and bewilderment. After Patty repeated her previous action, Gaster asked:  
"Are you really... pretending to eat?"  
Patty's eyes quickly opened wide and let out a gasp, startled by Gaster's voice. When she saw him standing at the doorframe, Patty said:  
"What... what did you just say?"  
"I was asking you if you really were pretending to eat." - Gaster repeated himself, signing with his magic hands.  
"Oh. Well yeah, I do that sometimes." - Patty answered - "I mean… it's not really 'pretending'. It feels pretty much real to me."  
"How can it feel any real?" - Gaster asked raising his eyebrow - "You're basically eating empty air."  
"You see empty air, I see duo chocolate spread." - Patty stated - "And it tastes so freaking good!"  
Gaster entered the room and after an hesitation, sat down on the bed, facing Patty. Then, he asked:  
"But can you just tell me... what's the __point__?"  
"I'm not complaining about the food in here, but… there are so many things I miss eating!" - the cat explained - "And once again, my imaginative mind comes to my rescue. If you imagine there's spread in the pot, so there will be. My mind can reproduce any flavor."  
"I see…" - was all that Gaster answered.  
"What? You're not convinced?" - Patty asked - "Imagining something is what makes it real. For example, you read a nice book and the next thing you know is you're in the story! You can see the landscapes, the characters, you can feel the weather… Same thing here. I imagine I'm eating chocolate spread and the moment after, I can taste it in my mouth and feel it go down my throat. It's amazing what your mind alone can do. And you really should use it the same way."  
"I'm not that much a food fanatic for that." - Gaster replied.  
"I wasn't talking about food, but about your children."  
"Uh... I'm not sure to follow..." - Gaster grew confused.  
"I mean, if you imagine that the children are yours, so they just will be!" - Patty explained what she saw as obvious - "If you can't remember them, it's just because you're firmly telling yourself they cannot be your kids. But try to think the other way round. Close your eyes and think that they __are__ yours."  
Gaster didn't reply. He thought that Patty's words were basically another phrasing of what the therapist told him earlier. For a brief moment, Gaster asked himself if maybe Patty was right. But he quickly chased the thought away. He would not let her define what he should do or be! And so, Gaster stood up from the bed and walked to the door, to Patty's disappointement.  
"Aw, you're going away already?"  
"It's almost dinner time anyway." - Gaster replied as he got a quick glance at the clock in the corridor.  
"Why must it be now? Ugh, I'm really not hungry..." - Patty muttered to herself - "I ate too much chocolate spread."  
Gaster frowned at her words, before shaking his head. __"This woman is really bizarre."__ \- he thought before going back to his room.

Meanwhile, Noelle sat down in her car and started the motor. Sam and Piper asked her where she was going and if they could go with her. But Noelle shook her head and said:  
"I'm just going for a ride in the city. I'll just go there, then back here. I just want to empty my mind for a moment."  
"Oh, okay... Well, have a good ride then." - Sam said.  
"Please, don't make it too long." - Piper requested - "We'll be waiting for you."  
"It won't take long, I promise." - Noelle smiled at them before closing the window.  
When the car drove away, the twins went back inside and up the stairs. They needed to come up with another gift idea for Gaster. He did like the cookies they brought him two days ago, or at least he didn't dislike them. So the kids had to bring him something that he'd really love. But what? It was with those questions that they disappeared in Noelle's bedroom. Papyrus' gaze had followed them, as he was sitting on the couch with "Frisk". He then turned to her and said:  
"I WONDER IF NOELLE'S OKAY, THOUGH. SHE WAS DOWN THOSE PAST FEW DAYS. HER MOOD'S REASONABLE, CONSIDERING THE RECENT EVENTS BUT… I WISH SHE TALKED TO ME MORE OFTEN ABOUT HER WORRIES."  
"She'll come around, you'll see." - Chara said, then her tone turned subtly darker - "She'll have no choice, eventually."  
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN..?"  
"Oh, I just meant that... you're her father. Noelle needs you, of course she'll turn to you if her emotions will be too much!" - Chara hurried to turn her dark thoughts into something more positive.  
"BUT I DON'T WANT HER TO BOTTLE EVERYTHING UP UNTIL SHE JUST CRACKS. IF SHE WANTS TO TALK, SHE SHOULD DO IT NOW."  
Chara straightened up so her face was at Papyrus' level. She smiled and said:  
"Then she will. I'm sure she retained the lesson since that time with Flowey."  
"I GUESS IT'S TRUE... SINCE THE INCIDENT, SHE OPENED UP TO US MORE AND MORE EVERYDAY."  
"Hmhm. And she knows her great father's there for her." - Chara then pressed a long kiss on Papyrus' cheekbone, before slowly (almost teasingly) pulling her lips from him and whispering - "So don't worry too much about it."  
"Y-YOU... YOU'RE RIGHT."  
Papyrus was blushing a bit after the kiss, and yet for some reason it didn't feel quite right. Maybe it was because Frisk kissed him a bit… differently? Frisk's kisses were usually chaste. This time however, the kiss had a more seductive vibe. But then, Papyrus chased the thought away, guessing that he was probably overthinking. So, he just hugged "his wife" closer to him.

It didn't take too long before Noelle found the Dog's shrine. As she parked her car, she hurried to enter the shrine. She did as a few last persons were leaving. Noelle was relieved that she'd have some privacy in the shrine. She sat down on a bench, stared at the golden dog statute and started to pray:  
"Dog... Wherever you are... please hear me. I need you now more than ever. There's quite a crisis my family's dealing with and my magic started to disobey me. I'm not sure what's the reason of that, but it has to be fixed. I must regain control over my magic before it's too late. There's already so much going on in my head. And yes, I __will__ tell my family about it. I just want to solve my magic problem first. So… can you help me with it? Please?"  
Noelle waited for a long moment and nothing happened. She then let out a sigh, looking down at her feet. She frowned as she saw a folded paper lying on the floor. Noelle was pretty sure it wasn't there before. She picked up the paper, unfolded it and sawvthat it was a note.

__"There's no need to go that far from home to find me! Let's rather talk in a more open place, like beneath the mountain. Fresh air is good for the body and the mind. Meet me there tomorrow at midday. Don't be late! I'm a busy dog, you know. I have a shawl to knit.  
\- Dog"__

Noelle smiled after reading the note. Not only because she had a small hope now, but also because she was amused by the statement about knitting. "__How does he knit with paws? Bah, it doesn't matter. I'll meet him tomorrow and maybe he can help me. Maybe he can advise me what to do against Chara…"__ \- Noelle thought as she stood up and walked out of the sacred building.

Meantime in the other destroyed timeline, Frisk was lying alone in the darkness. She didn't know how long she's been there. Her heartache was killing her. The thought that Chara was currently in her shoes, with her family… __with Papyrus__… terrified and saddened her. Would they notice that the real her is gone? Or will they keep living happily with that evil replacement of her? No… they had to eventually notice, right? __"They know me well… Chara doesn't… She can't copy me perfectly. My family will notice the differences… ___**_He_**___ will…"__ \- Frisk was thinking - __"Papyrus loves me… so he must see that she's not me. He can make the difference between me and Chara... And if he didn't notice yet, he surely will very soon."__ And as Frisk was __hoping__, she started to feel a little bit better. Not only on an emotional level, but at the physical too. The few bruises Frisk had from her struggling against Chara during the kidnapping, magically healed. Frisk barely noticed, because her physical pain was insignificant compared to her emotional pain. __"Papyrus does love me… truly… he told me so… he's shown me…"__ \- she kept thinking. Frisk then remembered the day Papyrus confessed her about his feelings for her. She could remember that day as clearly as if it was the previous day. Not only visually, but also the sound of Papyrus' voice, the feeling of his arms wrapped around her and of his teeth pressed against her lips… It was just magical. Frisk smiled to herself as she was mentally living the moment again; as she was __daydreaming__. Suddenly, Frisk felt something warm in the pocket of her jeans. She curiously slid her hand there and pulled out a shiny gem-like object. It was star-shaped and was glowing many different colors at once. It was a __dream__. Like, the kind of dreams she could actually consume during her battle against Asriel. Frisk was pleasantly surprised by this. Wihout wasting any time, she ate the dream. She smiled at the unique taste it had. But it was probably the most tasty dream she ever ate. It was surely due to the beauty of the moment she was dreaming of. She could feel any physical pain totally gone, the bump on her head healing completely. __"So here, if I dream, I'll generate consuptible dreams..?"__ \- Frisk asked herself. She then got a determined look on her face and said to herself:  
"Chara thought she'd break me by bringing me here. She wishes! I won't let her. I'll keep hoping. I'll keep dreaming. I will daydream of every beautiful moment I shared with Papyrus, Noelle and everyone. I'll dream of a nice future with them all. And I'll consume every dream I can generate. I'll hold into my dreams. They're making me stronger. I will get out of here. I don't know how, but I will."

* * *

**A/N: Not much progress in this chapter and yet... those elements are important. ^^**  
**Before you say that Frisk shouldn't be able to generate dreams like that out of nowhere outside the Asriel Dreemurr battle... I'll tell you the famous OUAT quote again. "Love is the most powerful magic of all." Frisk's love for Papyrus makes miracles! :D (Besides, it's not totally illogical. She's in a void-like space, just like she was kinda outside of space and time during her battle Asriel.)**

**And you can expect more of Gaster's journal entries, as well as Patty's oddities, in the next chapters. :) The parts about them were actually the most fun for me to write. ^^ **  
**Oh, and the moment when Patty pretends to eat spread is actually an inspiration from a moment in "Lost", when Charlie and Claire pretend to eat peanut butter. **


	41. Chapter 41

Sam and Piper were sitting on Noelle's bed, discussing what kind of gift they could make for their father. Getting a good idea wasn't an easy task, figuring that the amnesic Gaster would probably be __very__ difficult to please. Even though the twins did their best to stay positive around him, they still could sense that he was accepting their generosity and kindness rather reluctantly. That was why they had to come up with an uncommon gift; something special. But what?  
"I really have no clue…" - Piper said with a pout - "What do you think Dad liked before adopting us?"  
"Except doing science? Nothing." - Sam replied with a hint of sarcasm - "Wait… I think I know what to do."  
"What? You have an idea?" - Piper asked curiously.  
"Not exactly. But I think we should recall what Dad was doing for us when we were sick." - Sam answered - "And now, we could return the favor by doing the same for him."  
"Oh, that's clever, Sam!" - Piper's eyes lit up, liking the idea - "And maybe it'll even help him remember?"  
"That's what I hope." - Sam grinned - "Now, we must try to recall something about us being sick."  
The twins got thoughtful looks on their faces. Being a doctor and scientist, Gaster was most of the times very clinical when it came to treat his children's sickness. And since he was a busy man in general, he'd rarely waste time at home for things like "comforting". It was usually a job he'd leave to Toriel. She'd stay at their beds to help them to eat and reassure them, to keep them company in general while their father was working at the hospital for long hours.  
"It's a surprise he actually could change…" - Sam commented - "Not that I want to speak badly of him, but you gotta admit he wasn't the best at fathering."  
"It's true that he could do better… but there were times when he'd be nice." - Piper said thoughtfully - "Wait… I recall one time when he…"  
"What is it, Piper?" - Sam asked - "What do you recall?"  
"Remember the time we got the flu when we were six?" - Piper asked her brother.  
"I think… Yes, I do..! We got ill at the same time, but it took you a little longer to recover!" - Sam remembered.  
"Yes, that time." - Piper confirmed with a nod - "Dad stopped going to work until he was sure we totally recovered. He was most of the time by our side, he was so caring… I recall once asking him if I would die. Dad looked at me and said that he'll never let it happen. And… even if he was wearing a surgery mask to not get ill too, I could see in his eyes that he was smiling."  
Piper paused for a moment as she smiled at the good memory. Sam looked at her curiously until he recalled the day too. He saw where she was going with this story.  
"Dad then gave you a new plushie and said that it would chase your sickness away." - Sam pursued the story - "Heh, he even gave me one too, to make things fair. Even though I was not as sick."  
The reason why the kids remembered that day from years ago was because it was one of the rarest times when Gaster wasn't acting all rational and clinical towards them. That time, he's been just a comforting father, which was all what they truly needed. If only Gaster's been this attentionate all the time during those years… The kids and him surely would've gotten better along back then.  
"It was one of the rare times he showed that he cared… I get it! Dad gave us plushies, so we must give him one now!" - Sam understood - "The question now is… what kind of plushie would he like?"  
The kids went into their pondering mode again. It was shortly before Noelle returned from her ride to the city that the kids got an idea. Gaster cared a big deal for Asgore and Toriel. So, the most logical thing to give him was a plushie of a Boss Monster. The question now was where to get one. Sam and Piper decided that they'd explore the option the next morning.

The next day, it was almost midday when Noelle walked out of the village in the direction of the mountain, where the Dog requested her to come for their meeting. Noelle gave a quick glance at her watch to see that she was tree minutes in advance. The Dog was nowhere to be seen. __"I guess he'll show up ___**_exactly_**___ when the clocks will strike midday."__ \- Noelle told herself - __"I don't know him that well, and yet I think it's in his character."__ When Noelle arrived at the spot of rendezvous, she felt uneasy. It didn't take her long to figure out the reason. As she looked around, Noelle recognized the place.  
"It's the place I saw in my vision…" - Noelle said to herself - "That's where Chara and I will have a fight."  
"A fated place? That makes it even more interesting!"  
Noelle gasped and turned around to see that the Annoying Dog was there. He was smiling his usual cute dog smile, wagging his tail. Noelle stepped towards him and greeted the world's creator:  
"Hello, Dog. I'm glad to see you… You have no idea how much I need you right now."  
"Hi, Noelle. So, what's the problem? Lay it all down." - the Dog said with an encouraging tone.  
"Where do I even start..? I mean, first of, Chara's back..!" - Noelle started - "You know, the Dreemurr's other adopted child? Except that she's no longer a child, and she's here to hurt my family, especially my mom. And… and I feel powerless against her! I mean, it's not like I'm afraid of her… well, I am __a little__, but… it's just that my powers aren't working normally for some reason. Yet, Papyrus and Sans have trained me well, so I don't understand why I'm losing control of it? Well, that's basically the situation."  
Noelle stopped with a small sigh, expecting the Dog to say anything in response.  
"When exactly did your magic problems start?" - the Dog asked.  
"Um... It was the next day after Chara paid me a visit." - Noelle replied.  
"What were you doing just before that? Before using your magic, I mean."  
"I asked questions to Alphys about skeleton magic. I needed an enlightening about why Sans can perform the Karmic Retribution, while my father and I can't."  
"I see… And did you get your answer?" - the Dog asked curiously.  
"Yeah. Basically, it's because I don't have in me a desire to punish the sinners that I can't master the KR." - Noelle replied with a sad look.  
"It obviously upset you, am I correct?"  
"Of course it did..!" - Noelle exclaimed with frustration - "Because it means that I don't have the required weapons against a full of LV Chara! I mean… if I don't have it in me to kill people like Chara does… what are my chances against her?"  
"Okay. First, stop that. Really." - the Dog said calmly - "If your magic doesn't work right, it's because you're filling your mind with those thoughts. They're a venom to your soul and magic. You can't allow yourself poison your morals just because the psychotic Chara has 'too much power'. You allowed her to make you doubt your abilities and power. Throw those doubts away now! Okay?"  
"I'd like to, but…"  
"There's no 'but', Noelle. You must be proud that unlike her, you're on the right path." - the Dog said seriously - "She thinks she's more powerful because of her LV. Prove her wrong! The notion of 'power' is more subjective than one may think."  
"...What can I do against her then?" - Noelle asked - "I won't stray from the right path, that's what I promised to myself. But how can I win against her with my low LV?"  
"What you really must understand is that anyone can win, no matter their LV. You especially have a chance, considering the hybrid nature of your SOUL. You have more power than any human or monster has. Your mother didn't need high LV or magic to make it through the Underground and SAVE everyone, did she?"  
"I guess she didn't... Even without those, she could stand against any monster she encountered… including Asriel in his God of Hyperdeath form." - Noelle agreed.  
"Good. Now, answer one simple question. Why do you want to fight Chara?"  
"It's pretty obvious. I just want to protect my family from her."  
"__This.__" - the Dog said with a satisfied tone - "You just said one fundamental thing. You fight to protect those you love. This is what makes of you a true Savior."  
"A 'Savior', huh..? I still don't really understand what that means…" - Noelle sighed.  
"Maybe __that's__ the main problem?" - the Dog suggested, making Noelle look back a him intently - "But you have time to figure this out on your own. For now, I'll just tell you two rules that you'll have to keep in mind all the time."  
"Rules?" - Noelle asked - "Are those for a fight?"  
"Yes. But it can help in other aspects of life too sometimes." - the Dog replied - "Two rules. They're __simple__, yet __fundamental__."  
"Okay, what are those?"  
"Rule number one: When you fight, do it to protect others. Rule number two: Always trust the rule number one."  
A short silence followed and Noelle frowned her brows a little. She then said, hesitantly:  
"But uh... that's makes… just one rule then…"  
"No. They are distinct and equally important rules." - the Dog insisted - "Sometimes, I have the feeling you're not taking my words very seriously."  
"Don't think that..! I'm taking you very seriously, haha…!" - Noelle hurried to say, sweat of embarrassement forming under her bangs.  
"If you do, then keep in mind those __two__ rules, no matter what happens." - the Dog instructed her - "Trust me, it's __very__ important."  
"Alright... I will."  
"Sweet." - the Dog got a satisfied expression on his face - "Okay, it was all very nice, but I have to go now! There's so much to do, so many things to keep track of, and so little time!"  
"What? But I thought that gods didn't know time problems." - Noelle remarked with a curious look on her face.  
"Please..." - the Dog rolled his eyes.  
Then, he turned around and jumped. The Dog just vanished in the middle of his jump. Noelle blinked her eyes a few times, and she couldn't help but think: __"Woaaah… Amazing..!"__

Meanwhile in the house, Sam and Piper were in the attic, searching in the boxes of Noelle's old belongings something that would be close enough to what they had in mind. Luckily, there __was__ a homemade plushie that represented a goat monster. It needed a wash, but it still looked cute. The plush goat held a resemblance with both a young Asriel and Toriel. (So, it was a bit difficult to tell if the goat was supposed to be a boy or a girl.) It was dressed rather ordinarily, wearing a striped shirt.  
"It looks cute." - Piper commented with a smile.  
"It is. But we must modify it a little. To make it look less ordinary." - Sam remarked - "We must give it a more magical look, like one of an angel or a wizard?"  
"Maybe other toys have fitting clothes?" - Piper suggested.  
"There must be some." - Sam agreed with a nod.  
And so the searching resumed. They found a doll, who was dressed in a nice green shirt with a black heart drawn on the front. At once, they underessed the doll and, while Piper took care to put something else on the doll, Sam tried the shirt on the goat plushie. Since the doll was bigger than the plushie, the shirt looked more like wizard robe on it. Piper smiled at the sight with a satisfied grin.  
"Looks better already." - she said to her brother.  
"Yeah... but the clothing is just a bit too long." - Sam remarked.  
"That's not a problem. We can shorten it with scissors." - Piper replied.  
"shorten __what__ with scissors?"  
The twins turned their heads to see that Sans was staring at them from the entrance of the attic. Sam showed him the toy and said that they needed to shorten the "wizard robe" so it would fit the plush toy. Sans walked up to them and after looking at it, he said:  
"i see... but why are you customizing the toy? i mean, those are noelle's old toys. you shouldn't mess with other people's belongings."  
"We already asked her this morning. She said she doesn't mind." - Sam replied.  
"as long as she's okay with that." - Sans shrugged - "but what are you doing exactly?"  
"We're making a gift for our dad." - Piper replied.  
"oh... i see."  
Sans' eyesockets turned black for a very brief moment. Which made Piper ask:  
"What's with that face, Sans?"  
"what? nothing's wrong with my face."  
"You're not pleased we're making a gift for our father, are you?" - Sam said on his turn.  
"you know how things are between him and i... but this doesn't mean i disapprove. you can love him as much as you want, give him gifts and all." - Sans said casually - "i'll just never understand what you like in him, but that's okay. he's your father, so i cannot judge."  
"Well, technically he's your father too..." - Sam remarked.  
"he's never been one to me." - Sans said with a lower tone - "he's been merely a scientist. pap and i've been just experiments to him."  
"But deep down... I know he cared." - Piper said quietly.  
"so what? it doesn't matter what he thought or was 'deep down'. it doesn't change all the atrocities he did to us."  
Sans' left eye had briefly glowed blue as he spoke. The twins looked down after his words, as those made them uncomfortable. Sans noticed and realized his mistake. He facepalmed and said:  
"uhh... sorry about that, kids. i guess what i think of him isn't what you need to hear."  
His expression then softened and his eyes smiled a little.  
"but here's an idea for your little... project. you're trying to make that thing look like a wizard, right?"  
"Uh-uh! Like a wizard who'd help Dad feel better." - Piper replied, as her enthousiasm returned.  
Sans chuckled at this, envying a little the kids' silly beliefs.  
"then it'll need a hat." - Sans pointed out - "you can make one out of the cut fabric."  
The kids looked at each other, wordlessly agreeing that it was a good idea. Sans then suggested the kids to wash the toy first, to make it look newer. The kids agreed and decided they'd later ask Papyrus to take care of that.

At that same time, in the monster hospital, Gaster was sitting at the table, starting a new journal entry. It didn't take long to figure what to write about in his journal. Yet, he'd always been inspired when it came to writing his thoughts down.

Entry n°3

__I have seen the therapist yesterday. Like I expected, he can't help me. He said some stuff about my inner cognitive disharmony, that my mind refused to accept a new reality, and that it's because of my hatred for humanity that I can't remember "my children". He suggested me to think about it. The guy really doesn't get it. He doesn't know what I got to witness. He has no idea about the horrors I've seen humans do during the war. I can't just pretend it never happened and welcome the twins with open arms. They might look harmless now, but they'll surely change when they grow up and start to lust for power. No doubt they'll have more and more interest for my SOUL. They'll want to steal it. I know what I'm talking about, I've seen humans take SOULs from monsters. The "mages" who created the Barrier were nothing but thieves of Boss Monster SOULs. They couldn't have performed magic spells otherwise. Humans are fascinated by power. And those curious and invading twins can't be an exception. The only relatively positive scenario I can come up with is the fact they're two, while there's just one SOUL. They won't be able to share, so they'll end up fighting for it until they kill each other.  
And to think that I'm meeting the therapist tomorrow again. I'd rather listen my neighbour's nonsensical rants.  
Speaking of her… Like suspected, her unconventional thinking is only the lesser of her problems. I discovered last afternoon that she likes to pretend eating. But only if it was just that. When she's done, she actually believes that she ate for real, making her feel no hunger. I wonder when the staff will realize she's not taking her pills, if they didn't already. But it's not my business.  
Maybe I should observe if her levels of insanity influe her skills at checkers in any way? That would definitely be interesting to observe.__

Gaster closed his journal and went to hide it under the mattress. Then he went to the hall, where to his surprise, he didn't see Patty there. It was a bit strange to not see her around. It made Gaster wonder what she was up to. Not that he cared, it was just his scientific curiosity. So, the skeleton sat down at a table and, since there weren't much things he could do, started to doodle on a sheet of paper. At first, it were merely symbols and insignificant forms. Then, he started to draw himself as a young boy. He usually didn't like to think too much about his childhood, let alone draw pictures of it. But this time, due to his boredom and loneliness, he just felt like doing it. When he finished the small boney form, he started to draw Toriel next. Gaster got, for a brief moment, a small nostalgic smile. The time when Toriel has been his foster mother was probably the best period of his life, because it was the serener one. When he laid down the pen after finishing the doodle, he heard Patty's voice say:  
"Wow! I like the drawing. It's simple, yet so cute."  
Gaster looked up to see that Patty was standing there, holding a sheet of paper and pastels in her hands. He didn't reply to her compliment and slid the drawing aside. Patty then sat down right next to Gaster, making him move his chair a little aside (to create a minimal space between them). As Patty started to draw the base lines on the paper, she said:  
"I wanted to paint with watercolors today. But the nurse didn't want me to and gave me pastels instead. He thinks I might drink the paint by accident."  
Gaster could tell by Patty's expression that she was a little upset by this. To his own surprise, Gaster then said casually:  
"The beauty of art comes from the artist, not from the used material."  
"Well, I... I guess you're right there, hehe..." - Patty said with a smile - "How could I even forget that? Silly me!"  
Gaster almost chuckled at her reaction. He then didn't say anything for a while. Barely realizing it, Gaster's attention was caught by Patty's drawing. He quickly noticed that Patty definitely wasn't a beginner. The moves of her hand were sure, swift and elegant. Patty's expression was focused and eager. She pictured the final result in her mind, and she was determined to make it real. Patty in a way reminded Gaster of himself, when he was working on his science projects. As soon as he realized he just made the comparison between them in his head, Gaster chased the thoughts away. __"She and I are nothing alike."__ \- he told himself firmly. Patty had finished the pencil lines by this point and started to use the pastels. As she was filling the blank spaces, Gaster figured that the drawn scene was pretty familiar. In fact, any kid would recognize it.  
"The mad tea party?" - Gaster asked.  
"That's right, Gaster." - Patty replied with a smiled - "One of my favourites scenes from 'Alyssa in Underland'."  
"Let me guess: the most relatable to you?" - Gaster said a bit snarkily.  
He then __almost__ regretted saying that out loud. But Patty, even though she narrowed her eyes at him, did so in a playful manner rather than out of anger. Then, she admitted with a shy cat-like smile:  
"Alright... a little bit."  
"So, do you draw often..?"  
"I do. In my room, there's a huge pile of old drawings." - Patty nodded - "I can show those later, if you want."  
"If I get nothing better to do, then why not?" - Gaster said with a shrug - "What are your pictures usually about?"  
"Those are mostly scenes from famous stories." - Patty replied - "Like 'Cinderetta' or 'Red Hoodie'. But I also draw other things sometimes. For example, I once drew myself flying like a bird in the blue sky…"  
Patty sighed dreamily at the last part. Gaster guessed that flying must be her biggest impossible dream. But then, Patty snapped out from her short transe and looked at Gaster with a smile:  
"I didn't get to have a closer look on your drawing. May I?"  
Gaster hesitated. He was tempted to just say "no". But he knew that if he did so, Patty would point out the "unfairness" of the situation, considering that she let him watch her draw. So, Gaster sighed and handed the folded paper to Patty. The cat smiled and her eyes shone as she studied the small drawing.  
"I don't get why you wanted to see it, though." - Gaster commented - "I mean, it's a simple pencil doodle."  
"But it's still well drawn. You have a cute style!" - Patty complimented him.  
"Thank you, I guess...?" - Gaster replied awkwardly.  
Gaster wasn't sure what to think about aspects of him being qualified as "cute". This kind of compliments always just puzzled him. Patty then handed him the paper back, saying with a cat-like grin:  
"Anyway, the striped owl is adorable."  
At once, Gaster snatched the drawing from her hand and looked away. His face displayed that he was very annoyed by Patty's statement, and most likely offended too.  
"It's not an owl, it's me..!" - he muttered, without looking at her.  
Gaster couldn't believe it - how couldn't that cat woman make a difference between him and some owl? He surely was a better drawer than that! Or maybe was she mocking him for wearing big glasses? Either way, Gaster saw Patty's words as pure insolence. Patty, on her hand, looked at him with a surprised look, and after a moment, she said:  
"You... you know I was joking... right?"  
Gaster gave her a quick glance before looking away again.  
"Gaster, I was merely teasing you." - Patty said.  
"Your sense of humor is poor." - Gaster grumbled in response.  
Patty smiled and laid her hand on Gaster's shoulder, which made him turn away from her. This only made Patty giggle, and then she started to shake him a little.  
"Come on, look at me..! I know you're not mad..!"  
"I am. Leave me alone."  
Patty chuckled some more at his attitude. After a moment, Gaster sighed and finally looked back at her. He then fully turned to face her and said with his serious look:  
"You are annoying, you know. Very annoying."  
Patty didn't reply as she simply gave him a victorious grin, before resuming her drawing.

The next day, the twins were getting ready to go visit Gaster at the hospital. Their little gift was ready and they were proud of how it turned out. After the robe and hat were made, Sam got the idea to draw glasses on the face, to give the goat wizard a Harry Potter vibe. And since it felt like something was still missing, Piper made a scarf out of a dark pink fabric (similar to her own, actually). Now that it was ready, the kids were both excited and anxious to give it to their father. After all, they weren't sure how Gaster would react. Papyrus, who would take them to the hospital, reassured them that everything would go well.  
"EVERYBODY LOVES GIFTS, KIDS. PLUS, YOUR PLUSHIE'S TOO ADORABLE!" - Papyrus said to them - "SO I KNOW IT JUST CAN'T MAKE HIM HATE YOU!"  
"Let's hope you're right..." - Piper said, breathing out nervously.  
Chara (still with Frisk's appearance) was observing the kids with a great inner satisfaction. She didn't plan for Gaster to survive, but the fact that he lost his memories and that the twins suffered from this… was a pure __delight__ to Chara's SOUL. _"Humans made me suffer for too long..."_ \- Chara was thinking - _"And now, I am making them suffer. Those brats' misery feels too good sometimes."_ As Papyrus, Piper and Sam went out of the house, Chara waved them goodbye. Then, she let out a relieved sigh. It felt good when they were at a distance. Living under the same roof with them pretending to be Frisk was more difficult and annoying than she thought it would be. __"I just hope nobody's suspecting anything… especially Sans."__ \- she mused.  
"What are you thinking about, Mom?"  
Chara turned her head to see that Noelle was looking at her from the kitchen doorframe. It didn't take long for Chara to come up with a lie.  
"Oh, just that... you know, I worry for the kids." - she said - "They spend so much time to try make their father remember them. But I'm afraid it might just damage their inner health."  
"What do you mean?" - Noelle asked.  
"I mean... they're putting way too much effort for a person who doesn't even want to be with them. Knowing how Gaster was back then, in the end the kids will only get hurt. All this effort just for more pain..? Is it worth it?"  
"Huh... What you say does make sense, and that's definitely a position some people would take. But... it's quite weird to hear this from __you__." - Noelle said with a light frown.  
"Weird? Why?"  
"You're the type of person to advise to stay determined and fight for the people you love to the end... no matter the pain it can bring, becasuse love is wroth it." - Noelle said - "So I am a bit surprised to hear you say the kids should give up."  
Chara felt her heartbeat quicken. She couldn't allow Noelle to suspect her, she had to come up with something and quick!  
"Oh, well that's uh... That's because the kids are maybe a little too young for this emotional battle."  
"Maybe you have a point..." - Noelle replied - "Yeah, Sam and Piper are only ten after all..."  
__"I must be really careful from now on…"__ \- Chara thought.  
Chara couldn't allow her cover to blow up. Not after she finally came up with such a perfect revenge! But being Frisk definitely was much harder than she thought it would be.

* * *

**A/N: Not much happened again, but we're approaching a moment when things will get violent. Chara already made a bad move around Noelle. And knowing Papyrus' undeniably good observation skills, Chara would need to be extremely careful around him. Let's pray she fails! :)**

**Btw, if the fairytales Patty mentions have slightly different names it's because the UT world isn't the same as ours. I imagine there would be similar stories out there but named a bit differently. (For exemple, MMKC is clearly a reference to Tokyo Mew Mew. And in Deltarune, Alphys mentions something similar to the Simpsons, and Toriel talks about a game like SSBB.)**

**Oh, and the "two rules" the Annoying Dog tells Noelle are actually a reference to "Karate Kid, part II". (I just love those movies!) When Myagi tells Daniel that 1) karate's only for defense; and 2) you must always trust number 1. **  
**And it's not the last you've seen of the Annoying Dog, I promise! ;) There's more of him to come.**


	42. Chapter 42

It was the afternoon when Gaster got informed that he was getting a visit from his children. Gaster already wasn't in the best mood, because he's had a meeting with the therapist earlier. In his opinion, it was all pointless, but since he was just a patient here, he had no choice but go through the "therapy". And now, he was getting a visit from the kids he couldn't remember despite the effort. __"Oh gods… Them again..?"__ \- he thought - __"What do they gain by coming here, exactly?"__ Before the kids entered the room, Gaster saw that Papyrus was with them in the corridor. The younger skeleton had a serious look on his face, as though he wanted to talk. Gaster assumed correctly, as Papyrus walked up closer to him and said:  
"I SHALL LEAVE YOU THREE ALONE. I JUST WANT TO REQUEST YOU SOMETHING. SAM AND PIPER COME HERE BECAUSE THEY MISS YOU A LOT. SO COULD YOU MAYBE BE LESS... COLD TOWARDS THEM THIS TIME? PLEASE?"  
"I don't see how my attitude is your business." - Gaster replied, his tone devoid of emotions.  
"IT IS MY BUSINESS, BECAUSE THE TWINS ARE MY GRANDCHILDREN AND THUS, THEIR WELLBEING MEANS A BIG DEAL TO ME." - Papyrus said seriously - "I GET THAT IT'S HARD FOR YOU, BUT IT'S EVEN HARDER FOR THEM. I CAN'T ORDER YOUR MIND TO REMEMBER THE CHILDREN. I'M JUST ASKING YOU TO BE NICER TO THEM."  
After a moment, Gaster nodded slowly.  
"I can't promise you anything." - he said - "But I can make an effort at my choice of words."  
"DON'T EMPHASIZE ON THEM BEING HUMANS, ALRIGHT?" - Papyrus requested.  
"Fine, if it can please you." - Gaster replied, looking away.  
"I'M NOT THE ONE YOU MUST PLEASE, IT'S SAM AND PIPER."  
Then, Papyrus stepped aside to inform the children that he was done talking and allow them enter Gaster's room. Papyrus then walked away long the corridor to the waiting room. Now that Gaster was alone with the twins, he turned to them and said:  
"So, um… what brings you here today?"  
"Well… to see you?" - Piper said a bit awkwardly.  
__"Ugh, what a stupid question…"__ \- Gaster thought to himself, mentally facepalming.  
"Are you doing better?" - Sam asked - "Is your skull okay? Are the people here good to you?"  
"My skull healed, so it doesn't hurt anymore." - Gaster replied - "As for the people… well, except that I have to endure meetings with the therapist every two days, they're okay I guess."  
"That's a relief to know." - Piper said with a shy smile - "Anyway, we have a gift for you!"  
"I didn't ask for anything." - Gaster let out a sigh.  
"Isn't that the point of a gift..?" - Sam remarked, raising an eyebrow.  
Before Gaster got any chance to protest, Piper handed him the wizard goat plush. Gaster took it in his hand and studied it with a surprised expression. After a moment, he looked back at the kids, his look puzzled and a little unsure.  
"It's a... plushie? Of a Boss Monster..?" - he finally spoke up.  
"A __wizard__ Boss Monster!" - Piper clarified, smiling - "Keep it near you and it'll make you feel better."  
Gaster scoffed at this, the idea to trust his problems to a toy sounding ridiculous.  
"Do you like it?" - Sam asked.  
"I..."  
Gaster looked at the toy in his hands again. He wasn't sure what to think of all this, the twins' gesture confusing him. It was the first time in his life that he was receiving a gift from humans. Humankind was usually known for being unmercyful towards monsters and not very understanding or open-minded about things like magic. They barely showed any interst in genuinely getting along with his kind. And yet… here, the twins gave him a toy representing a monster with magic. And it wasn't any kind of monster, it was a Boss Monster. A kind that Gaster came to associate with family. If the twins really were his children, they'd surely know about this. And thus, gifting him a Boss Monster plushie was actually very thoughtful from them. __"No, they're probably just trying to win my affection!"__ \- the negative part of him spoke up in his mind. But for some odd reason… Gaster wasn't willing to listen that paranoid voice this time. The kids said wanting him to get better, and their words sounded genuine, without a hint of slyness.  
"I don't dislike it." - Gaster finally answered with a casual tone.  
The skeleton then laid his plushie down on his bed, as he could feel some funny warmth spread from his SOUL. A little more and his cheeks would heat up… __"Compose yourself!"__ \- Gaster mentally ordered himself.  
"How shall you name it?" - Piper asked.  
"Why would I name a toy?" - Gaster asked back - "It has no consciousness or anything."  
"Naming things make them more real." - Sam pointed out.  
Gaster paused for a very short moment. He was about to reply something, as a familiar voice interrupted him. It was Patty, standing at the doorframe.  
"Hey, Gaster! I was wondering if we could play check-... Oh, sorry. I didn't know you had a visit."  
"Don't mind them, they won't stay for too long." - Gaster replied to the cat monster.  
The twins gave him a look, not liking that he was speaking for them. Gaster ignored their glance.  
"Okay… Wait, so __they__ are your children?" - Patty asked as her eyes shone and her face turned into one of excitement.  
"Y-yes, they are." - Gaster said, looking away.  
"Oh my gosh! I knew you'd be cute, but I didn't expect you two be so freaking adorable!" - Patty exclaimed as she stepped forward to come closer to the kids - "Hi! My name's Patty. What are yours?"  
"My… name is Sam..." - Sam replied shyly.  
"And mine's Piper…" - his sister said on her turn.  
"Such lovely names!" - Patty commented with a smile - "You should visit your father more often. I can see that he needs it."  
"Really?" - Piper asked.  
"Yeah! I'm sure two sunshines like you can light up his gloomy self and-"  
"Anyway!" - Gaster cut her off - "You came because you wanted a checkers game, right? Then just wait until I'm done here. Now, shoo!"  
Gaster waved his hand quickly in a dismissing manner.  
"Fine, fine, I'm going." - Patty walked to the door, then turned to the kids - "But really, take care of him you two. Deep down he's-"  
"Do I need to repeat myself?" - Gaster said with a hint of annoyance.  
Patty grinned a cat-smile before going out of the room. Gaster let out a tired sigh, and the twins looked up at him.  
"Who is she?" - Piper asked curiously.  
"Didn't you catch her name?" - Gaster asked back, but as the kids gave him an unimpressed look, he said - "She's just a lunatic nextdoor."  
"She seems to know you well." - Sam remarked - "How __close__ you two are, exactly?"  
"What a strange question. As 'close' as two mental patients can be, I suppose..?" - Gaster replied with a shrug.

Later, when the twins left, Gaster went play checkers with Patty like promised. The checkers play was now a daily routine for Gaster. Like usual, he was sitting face to face with Patty, who was currently staring at the board with a very concentrated look on her face. She was obviously trying to think her next move. As Patty's eyes were fixing the board, Gaster's eye was fixing her. Some questions were running through his mind since the morning. In the office of the psychiatrist, he accidently noticed Patty's file. Gaster could only sneak a peek, but from what he had the time to read, he found out that months ago, Patty went through a phase of confusion of reality and fantasy. During that phase, she was convinced that she was engaged to _Prince Asriel_. She actually believed that they loved each other and that Asriel wanted to marry her. But also, according to Patty's imaginaion, the king and queen disapproved their love, thinking that Patty was not good enough for their son, and thus decided to entrust her to the psychiatry staff. That way, she and their beloved son couldn't be together, and hopefully Asriel would move on. When Gaster read this, he wasn't sure if it was funny or concerning. The discovery of Patty's belief was quite a surprise. At first, Gaster was just annoyed that Patty permitted herself to fantasy about _Asriel_ out of all people, the son of Gaster's foster parents! But then, Gaster remembered _who_ Patty was, so those thoughts were quickly forgotten. He then got actually _intrigued_ by this story. Rationally, Gaster knew that Patty and Asriel haven't even met. But on the other hand, he still couldn't help but wonder on the matter. After all, he had no idea for how long Patty's been confined in the psychiatry ward.  
"Patty, could you tell me… for how long are you in here?" - Gaster asked.  
Patty looked up at him, then pondered on his question. It didn't take her too long to give him a not very helpful answer.  
"I'm not sure… A few weeks? Months? Years..? You tell me!"  
"I see." - was all that Gaster replied.  
The uncertainity wasn't helping at all. But Gaster then thought: _"Logically, if Asriel really was engaged with a woman his parents disapproved of, Toriel or Asgore would surely have mentioned this incident. But they didn't, so that can only mean Patty's beliefs are all false."_ The conclusion was logical and satisfying. Prince Asriel was undeniably a rather cute young man. A real prince charming of monsters. It only made sense that Patty would succomb to his charm by just seeing his face in a newspaper or on tv. Being a woman with an ill imagination, her infatuation for the prince could only turn into a love story in her inner world. _"The scenario she came up with is kind of funny, actually."_ \- Gaster thought to himself - _"Patty really has a wild imagination. Just… how much was she infuniated by Asriel to come to that? Is this made-up story what attracted the attention of the medical staff? Or was she already in here when it happened? I wonder if she healed completely from this, or…"_ Gaster didn't pursue the train of thought and decided to ask Patty questions instead. This was all way too intriguing, he needed to know more.  
"You really don't know for how long you're here?" - Gaster asked.  
"Huh..? Sorry, I don't want to rush my move..! I'm trying to win for once, you know." - Patty replied.  
She obviously already forgot about Gaster's previous question.  
"No, I meant… in the hospital." - Gaster clarified.  
"The hospital? The hospital…" - Patty muttered to herself with a confused frown, until her eyes rounded in realization - "Oh, right. Um… no, I don't know. All I know it's been a while now that I haven't been outside."  
Gaster noticed Patty's moment of confusion. It looked like for a brief moment, Patty was no longer realizing where she was. This made Gaster wonder how frequent those moments were. But he focused back on the Asriel infatuation mystery.  
"You surely miss your life outside. I suppose it was an exciting one?" - he asked.  
"Not really, honestly." - Patty said casually, as she finally made her move with a pawn - "I didn't have many friends, 'cause people tended to avoid me. I don't get why, though."  
"No friends at all? Not even a 'special somebody'?" - Gaster inquired with a raised in interest eyebrow.  
"You mean, like a boyfriend?" - Patty asked back.  
"A boyfriend, a girlfriend, a spouse, a partner, a fiancé… whatever." - Gaster masked his directed interest by the diversified notions, before moving a pawn on his turn.  
"That's an odd question to hear from _you_, Gaster." - Patty said with a light chuckle - "But no, things just never worked out that way."  
_"Interesting…"_ \- Gaster thought to himself,-. Then he said:  
"I'm not one for romantic relationships, but I guess it's a shame that you ended up here, before you ever got a chance."  
"Y-yeah, that's a pity…" - Patty replied, look down.  
Gaster tilted his head curiously. _"Is she getting embarrassed?"_ \- he wondered - _"I'm pressing the right buttons, I might be getting close…"_ He decided that now was the time to ask _the_ question. Taking a casual tone, Gaster asked:  
"But _how_ did you end up in the psychiatry ward in the first place?"  
"I..."  
But Patty stopped before she said anything. She was fidgetting, averting her gaze. She could sense Gaster's expecting and curious gaze on her, while she was meddling her blond hair between her thin purple fingers.  
"...I don't want to talk about this." - she finally said.  
"If you don't remember, just tell me so." - Gaster said, his gaze still fixed on the cat monster - "Or is it some very _embarrassing_ story?"  
"No! No, it's neither of those..! It's… Can we change the topic? Please..?"  
Patty was now looking at Gaster, who got surprised to see the expression on her face. Her eyes were literally begging him to not pressure on the matter. She didn't want to talk about the reason of ending up in the psych ward, but it was obviously not one Gaster thought of. It was now clear to him that Patty never actually met Asriel, and thus the Dreemurrs had nothing to do with her confinement. Her fake love story was nothing but a fruit of pure imagination. Gaster could see this by the look in Patty's eyes. The fidgetting that he first interpreted as embarrassement or shame, was something different. Patty's fingers were clutching hard the fabric of her pajama shirt, as if she was insecure. But it was more than just insecurity. Patty's big golden eyes spoke volumes; they reflected _fear_. Or a trauma of a sort. Had her confinement been a result of an unsuccessful love story, the look in her eyes would've been different. One part of Gaster was proud of his clever analysis, but another part of him realized that he upset Patty. He watched the cat lower her gaze again, trying to focus back on the checkers game they've been playing. But her mind clearly didn't move on.  
"Patty, I'm sorry." - Gaster then said.  
The cat monster looked up at him. After a moment, she responded him with a weak, yet forgiving, smile.  
"It's alright." - she said quietly, before moving her pawn - "Your turn, Gaster."  
Gaster just nodded in response. As the two kept playing, the skeleton was thinking about what he just did. He made one of his mistakes again. Was satisfying his scientific curiosity worth the pain caused to people? _"Why did I care about this in the first place?"_ \- he finally asked himself. An interesting question actually. Gaster realized that he gave much more interest to the fantasies of a crazy woman than he should. In other circumstances, Gaster would've ignored this kind of information, being irrelevant to him. So why did it matter to him _this_ time? _"I'm a scientist."_ \- Gaster told himself firmly, while moving his pawn - _"A scientist is never satisfied with a half-solved puzzle. It's as simple as that."_

In the evening, Gaster was lying in his bed, writing another journal entry. Too many things happened that day since the morning, so he needed to write it all down.

Entry n°4

__This has been quite an... eventful day. In the early morning, I had a meeting with the therapist in his office. What's even the point in talking about my problems with him? The therapist can't magically solve them or make me remember. What makes him think he can help? Nobody can. Like I expected, the meeting was pointless. He's been asking me how I feel, what my dreams are about, etc. He also advised me to try find links between the me I know and the forgotten alter-ego. Easier said than done.  
However, I made an interesting discovery in his office. At some point, the therapist had been called by a nurse for an apparent serious talk. I was left alone in the office for a couple of minutes, but it was enough for me to notice a recently browsed file on the desk. The reason why I noticed is because I saw a corner of a drawing showing up from the folder. I peeked into that file to get my suspicion confirmed: it was Patty's file. I could only recognize her drawing style. (She's shown me her many drawings yesterday.) The drawing itself was quite a surprise, to say the least. It represented a couple dancing on a fancy ball. But the maid was Patty and the man was no other than Prince Asriel. To the drawing were attached some notes written by the psychiatrist. I had just enough time to read some of it. From what I got to read, my neighbour went through a weird phase three months ago. She used to firmly believe that she and the prince had a love story, but the king and queen disapproved of their relationship and thus locked her in the psychiatry ward so they couldn't be together. It would've made a funny plot for a tv drama, actually. But it's pretty clear that my excentric neighbour made the story up, she never actually met Prince Asriel. It wouldn't chronologically make sense. Anyway, today's discovery displays how far Patty's insanity goes. By the way, I noticed an improvement in her checkers strategy this afternoon. If I wasn't the genius I am, she would've won.  
This little incident aside, I also got the visit from the twins today. I still can't remember them. Things weren't that different from the last time. They came, they chatted about trivial things, they left. Except maybe that they came with a gift. They gave me a plushie of a wizard Boss Monster. ____I'm pleasantly surprised by their thoughtfulness.__

Gaster realized what he just wrote, and then he quickly crossed out that last line.

__They're quite insisting on trying to earn my affections. I wonder how long their persistance will last. They know I can't give them what they want, right? Sooner or later, they'll live a disillusion. It will be only for the best of everyone.  
__  
Gaster closed his journal with a sigh. He hid it under the mattress like usual, and then he tried to relax. He was tired and he was having another headache. It wasn't coming from his once cracked skull, since it completely healed now. It was more likely due to his thinking about the Sam and Piper issue. Everyone was expecting him to remember. But if medicine, nor the children themselves could make him remember, then what could? People were maybe asking him the impossible. Maybe the best solution was to just move on from that past he couldn't remember? __"If my mind doesn't want to remember, there must be a reason to that.__" - Gaster thought to himself. He then turned around and found the plushie the twins gave him. Gaster then grabbed the toy and laid down again, closing his eyes. His mind was tired, he needed some sleep. And so, uncharacterisically for him, Gaster fell asleep pretty early, with his toy - that he named Ralsei - in his arms.

Meanwhile in the house of Noelle's family, Papyrus was pacing nervously in his room. Something's been bothering him for the last couple of days and he felt like he needed to share his worries with someone. He peeked out of his room and saw that Noelle and the twins were watching a movie together. __"NO... I CAN'T BOTHER NOELLE WITH THAT."__ \- Papyrus thought - __"SHE ALREADY HAS A BURDEN ON HER SHOULDERS, SHE CONSTANTLY THINKS ABOUT PROTECTING EVERYONE FROM AN UPCOMING THREAT. THAT, AND THE WELLBEING OF HER CHILDREN."__ So, Papyrus decided to not bother Noelle with his problem for the time being. In that case, he decided to turn to the only person who's always supported him in the darkest of hours when there was nobody else for that - his brother. Papyrus walked out of his room and went to knock at Sans' bedroom door. A faint "come in" was heard, after what Papyrus entered the room. The taller skeleton let out a sigh. Like usually, this room was a mess. Sans was lying on his bed, and by his expression one could easily tell that he was half-asleep. But he made an effort to stay (relatively) awake for his brother.  
"you okay, bro?" - he asked - "you look kinda _**_pale_**_."  
"SANS, DON'T…" - Papyrus sighed, rubbing his forehead - "SOMETHING'S BOTHERING ME A LOT, AND I CAN'T KEEP IT FOR MYSELF."  
"uh? what's wrong?" - Sans asked, getting more alert.  
Papyrus sat down on the bed next to his brother and after a silent moment, he finally decided to explain.  
"SOMETHING ISN'T QUITE RIGHT WITH FRISK LATELY... AND I CAN'T PUT MY FINGER ON WHY."  
"something's wrong with frisk?" - Sans arched an eyebrow - "what do you mean?"  
"I... I DON'T KNOW HOW TO EXPLAIN." - Papyrus fidgetted his fingers - "BUT SHE SEEMS TO BE A LITTLE DIFFERENT FROM THE USUAL."  
"different around you? or in general?"  
"I'M NOT SURE. A LITTLE OF BOTH?"  
"so are you saying your couple is in crisis?"  
"NO! IT'S NOT THAT! IT'S DIFFERENT! IT'S NOT SOMETHING I CAN CLEARLY EXPLAIN..." - Papyrus then sighed - "ALRIGHT, HERE'S AN EXAMPLE… NORMALLY, FRISK AND I CUDDLE IN OUR SLEEP. WE HOLD EACH OTHER IN OUR ARMS. BUT SINCE VERY RECENTLY, SHE'S KEEPING DISTANCES. FRISK IS SLEEPING ON THE EDGE OF THE BED, TURNING HER BACK TO ME. I DIDN'T DARE TO ASK HER WHY THIS CHANGE… FOR SOME REASON, IT FELT WRONG TO INSIST AND WRAP HER IN MY ARMS."  
"well... it does sound like a couple problem to me." - Sans said.  
"I'M TELLING YOU THAT'S NOT IT!" - Papyrus exclaimed with an irritated sigh - "FRISK DID BECOME MORE DISTANT, YET THERE ARE MOMENTS WHEN SHE'S BEING... TOO SEDUCTIVE."  
"if you didn't want her being seductive, you shouldn't have married her." - Sans replied.  
"YOU DON'T GET IT, SANS... IT'S NOT THE FACT SHE'S SOMETIMES SEDUCTIVE, IT'S RATHER __THE WAY__ SHE IS. LIKE, WHEN IT HAPPENS, IT FEELS OFF." - Papyrus attempted to explain again - "SINCE VERY RECENTLY, WHEN FRISK GETS FLIRTY, IT ALMOST FEELS... FORCED."  
"what do you mean by 'forced'?" - Sans asked curiously.  
"LIKE, IT'S SUPPOSED TO FEEL GOOD, BUT FOR SOME REASON, IT DOESN'T." - Papyrus replied - "UGH, I'M SORRY I CAN'T PUT IT IN BETTER WORDS..."  
It was true that Papyrus couldn't explain. Frisk's flirting moments used to be different until very recently. It was teasing, yet it was sweet and simple. Even cute, in its own way. Now, it was as if Frisk was trying to put into her seduction an unnecessary intensity. But how could Papyrus ever word those things to his brother..?  
"look, pap. ketchup being my only love, those things are out of my domain. but it seems to bother you a big deal, so i'm giving you a simple advice. if you really feel something's off between you two, you should talk with frisk about it." - Sans said seriously - "only you can find an answer to this mistery of yours, papyrus, not me."  
"YOU... YOU'RE RIGHT SANS." - Papyrus said as he slowly stood up - "I'LL TRY TO DISCUSS THIS WITH FRISK."  
"you really should. don't let your relationship become toxic." - Sans replied, still serious.  
"I WON'T... I WILL FIGURE OUT WHAT'S WRONG." - Papyrus said determined, before exiting his brother's room.  
Sans then frowned, intruigued by what his brother just said. What could this possibly mean?

In the parallel destroyed timeline, Frisk straightened herself when she saw Chara appear. She wouldn't look pathetic in front of her. Besides, Frisk promised herself she'd stay determined and have faith. __"I won't let her break me, whatever she has to say."__ \- she told herself firmly. Chara walked up to Frisk, smiling widely:  
"What's with the silent greeting? Sisters are supposed to say hello to each other when they meet."  
"You and I are __not__ sisters." - Frisk said quietly but firmly.  
"Ooo, how bitter." - Chara said mockingly - "Anyway, I came here to say that everything's going for the better back home. I'll inform you that your family's doing well and that nobody died… yet."  
Chara got a nasty grin when she said the last word. She hoped to get an entertaining reaction from Frisk. But to her disappointement and surprise, she didn't get the reaction she wanted. True, there was a shadow of fear that crossed Frisk's face. And yet, the determined look in her eyes didn't leave. Frisk kept her proud posture, never averting her gaze from her captor. Chara frowned for a second. Why wasn't Frisk broken by this point?  
"Nothing to say? I can understand how my charismatic presence can leave one speechless." - Chara said in a dramatic boasting way.  
"Sorry to say that it doesn't." - Frisk said calmly with a casual shrug.  
"Come on, stop that acting! You can pretend to be unaffected as much as you want. But I can see right through you, Frisk." - Chara then lowered her tone to sound more spooky - "You're in fact very __very__ desperate. Desperate to get out of here, to return to your family… you think that feigning carelessness will make me bored and let you go. That's almost funny."  
"Desperate, you say? Oh no, you got it all wrong, Chara." - Frisk shook her head with a smile that reflected the strength of her spirit - "I'm not desperate, but hopeful. I have faith that I'll get out of here and that in the end, you'll lose. I'm not afraid of you, because I know that nothing in the world, __not even you__, can break the bond that unites my family and me. You may think I'm pathetic to believe in the strength of our love? But in fact, you're the pathetic one, thinking that you alone can break it."  
Chara felt her blood boil in her veins. She didn't expect Frisk to be so strong-spirited and faithful at this point. And Frisk… she was feeling stronger at every passing moment. She's been consuming the dreams generated by the beautiful memories all the time Chara's been gone. At first, the dreams healed her physical injuries, but then it also helped her feel better on a more emotional level. It raised her spirits, which helped her have faith despite the black void she was in. And so, Frisk kept going, not fearing Chara's reaction.  
"You and your LV can't break my family or our love. Because our love is __true__. And it's __magic__." - Frisk said with a determined tone - "A very powerful magic that you sadly will never know."  
Chara then grabbed Frisk by the collar of her shirt and placed the silver blade of her knife under the throat. Frisk gasped but did her best to look into her enemy's red eyes. Chara pressed the blade very lightly to her skin, just enough to make a small cut. It didn't pierce any of the organs, the cut holding a warning purpose. Frisk gulped nervously and whined quietly as she felt the light pain from the cut, while Chara grinned in mild satisfaction, as she saw a small thread of blood run down the metal of the knife. Chara then released Frisk who immediately brought her hand to her neck. Frisk shivered a bit when she saw her own blood cover her palm and fingers.  
"That's better. I prefer when you're silent, after all." - Chara said.  
Chara then turned her back to Frisk and started to think. She didn't expect her to stay so determined after spending days in the destroyed void-like timeline. __"It looks like I have to take stronger measures… and quick."__ \- she mused - __"I hoped I could postpone 'that act' for yet a little while… but it seems I'll have to do it tomorrow."__ Chara gained back her composure and determination. She smiled wickedly and turned around to face Frisk again. The latter still had that determined and hopeful look in her eyes. Chara knew what could shatter that hope. She leaned down closer to her and said:  
"You know, I almost envy you. Papyrus is such a great lover."  
At once, Frisk's eyes widened. __"No..."__ Frisk's heart pounded faster. __"No, she can't be meaning…"__ Frisk's face paled. __"No, Papyrus would never… not with her…"__ Chara's twisted smile widened, after what she turned around and glitched out of the black scenary. Frisk's head was spinning and felt like she needed more air. Her body was shaking. She was trying her best to not lose her determination and her faith in Papyrus. She closed her eyes and remembered everything she and him went through and progressively, as she was living those moments again, she calmed down. __"Chara must've lied…"__ \- Frisk then told herself - __"She wants to break me; what she said can't be true!"__ And so, Frisk decided to keep believing. Papyrus never deceived her until now, so he wouldn't now. Chara's poisonous lie only gave Frisk more motivation to keep believing. __"I will get back home."__ \- she told herself. As she was hoping again, it slowly healed the cut on her neck. Along with some of the emotional pain.

The next day, in the early afternoon, Papyrus was pacing alone in his room. He waited for Frisk to return home, so they could both talk about his concerns regarding his wife's behaviour. She was currently at the Dreemurrs' house, while Noelle, Sans and the twins were also outside, doing their own business. Papyrus just hoped that the house would remain empty enough time for him and Frisk to talk properly, without external interruption or pressure. He wanted to know what was going on in his wife's mind. He knew that she wasn't doing alright. Aside from noticing the oddities in Frisk's behaviour, Papyrus had also been feeling a strange distress in his SOUL. But he knew the distress wasn't his own, because he had no reason to feel that way. Thus, it could only mean that Frisk wasn't doing well and he was somehow sensing it. __"I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON, FRISK. BUT WHATEVER IT IS, I KNOW YOU NEED HELP. AND I WILL HELP YOU, TODAY."__ \- Papyrus promised mentally. It was at that moment when he heard footsteps come up the stairs. The door opened, to reveal a smiling "Frisk". She walked up to Papyrus and said:  
"What's with that serious face? Did something happen, dear?"  
"WE NEED TO TALK." - Papyrus said seriously.  
"Okay... When one says that, it can't be something good." - Chara said with a joking voice.  
"FRISK, THIS IS SERIOUS." - Papyrus said as he sat down on the bed and tapped next to him to invite her sit next to him.  
As Chara complied and sat next to Papyrus, the skeleton spoke up his concerns.  
"FRISK, I... I'VE NOTICED THAT YOU'RE NOT ACTING NORMAL LATELY. NOT THAT WE CAN'T ALL HAVE MOOD CHANGES SOMETIMES, BUT… YOUR CHANGE OF BEHAVIOUR WAS TOO ABRUPT. ALMOST UNNATURAL, IN FACT."  
"What's wrong with my 'behaviour', exactly?" - Chara asked casually.  
"THE WAY YOU ACT AROUND ME IS STRANGE. THERE ARE TIMES WHEN YOU'RE A BIT DISTANT, TAKING SOME TIME FOR YOURSELF, WHILE THERE ARE OTHER TIMES WHEN YOU'RE BEING... EXCESSIVELY SENSUAL." - Papyrus blushed as he said the last part.  
"Can't a woman have some alone time every once in a while?" - Chara asked innocently, before her voice turned breathy - "Or can't she treat her favourite skeleton?"  
"YOU'RE... YOU'RE DOING THIS AGAIN." - Papyrus remarked, feeling not very at ease from this - "DON'T TRY TO AVOID THE TOPIC. I'M BEING SERIOUS FRISK, I KNOW SOMETHING'S WRONG."  
Even though Chara didn't display it, she got alarmed. So apparently, despite her flirtuous moments, she wasn't behaving like Frisk enough? Who would've thought that the naive skeleton would notice some minor differences? __"I still have a chance."__ \- Chara told herself - __"He's still calling me Frisk, he doesn't fully suspect me yet."__ This meant that Chara really could no longer postpone.  
"I HAVE LIKE A FEELING THAT YOU'RE NOT DOING OKAY. SO PLEASE, TELL ME WHAT IT IS. AND I'LL DO MY BEST TO FIX THAT FOR YOU." - Papyrus said with genuine concern.  
__"This is now or never."__ \- Chara decided. She put on the sweetest smile on her face and took Papyrus' hand in hers. She leaned closer to him and she said with a quiet, yet flirtuous tone:  
"Papyrus... Why does something have to be wrong with me? Maybe I just wanted to… __spice__ things between us a little?"  
Chara's hands then traveled up Papyrus' arms and rested on his shoulders, while she brought her lips to his neck. Papyrus blushed hardly at her actions, but feeling more embarrassed than pleased. But why was that?  
"FRISK, NO... THIS ISN'T RIGHT, TELL ME WHAT'S WRONG..."  
"I've already told you, nothing's wrong." - Chara spoke against his neck, while massaging his shoulders - "Now, can you just relax and enjoy what I give you?"  
"WE SHOULDN'T... NOT NOW..." - Papyrus tried to protest.  
At that moment, Chara slid her hand under his shirt to feel the ribs under her fingertips. Papyrus tensed and felt his SOUL tighten in __fear__. But why was he afraid? Frisk had run her hands over his ribs many times before… So why did it feel different now? What was __wrong__?  
"S-STOP... DON'T... THIS ISN'T RIGHT..." - Papyrus said shakily.  
"Just forget your fears, and it will feel right." - Chara replied as seductively as she could, even though she was getting a bit impatient.  
There was only one thing to do. She stopped her ministrations under the skeleton's shirt. Closing her eyes, Chara leaned to his face and pressed her lips to his mouth. And she gave that kiss her best shot. She moved her lips in a teasingly sensual way, hoping to wash away Papyrus' worries and concerns. Papyrus, on the other hand, felt like paralized. It didn't occur to him before, but the past few days, his wife hadn't kissed him on the mouth. But now that she did… __"IT DOESN'T FEEL ___**_RIGHT_**___."__ \- his mind said again. And then, at once, it all made sense to him. As Chara moaned against his teeth, Papyrus quickly pushed her away from him. Chara huffed in disapproval. Papyrus stared at her with wide eyes that, for a moment, glowed purple. He brought his hand to his mouth in disbelief. He finally understood why it all felt wrong those past few days. He understood it from the kiss.  
"YOU... YOU'RE NOT FRISK." - Papyrus said quietly.

* * *

**A/N: Frisk's lecturing to Chara might sound cliché, but trust me when I say her words will have its importance later.**  
**As for Papyrus getting that "Frisk" wasn't actually Frisk... well, it has been inspired from a scene in season 1 of "Once Upon A Time". ^^ The moment when Prince Charming is seduced by a Siren, who took the appearance of Snow White, but Charming doesn't succomb to the evil creature's charm because he knows how True Love feels like. (Which wasn't that when the Siren was kissing him.) The same happens here. The moment will be better explained in the next chapter, but basically Papyrus would know Frisk's kisses anywhere. And Chara's kisses were _not_ that at all. **

**Now that Chara failed at seducing Papyrus, this means Frisk can be rescued soon! Yay!**

**Oh, and in case you're wondering, the reason of Patty being in the psych ward is fake, like Gaster assumed. (Thus no, Patty isn't in love with Asriel!) The real reason will be explained later. :)**


	43. Chapter 43

_**1 hour earlier…**_

Chara, wearing Frisk's appearance, was sitting at the Dreemurrs' house in New Home. Asgore handed his daughter a cup of golden flowers tea, and Chara thanked him. Chara's mind was quite preoccupied since the previous night. Frisk wasn't losing faith, which was quite problematic. Because as long as Frisk had faith, Chara's revenge would never be complete. This is why she had to seduce Papyrus this afternoon. Only that way, she could break Frisk. But despite her current concerns, Chara pretended to be fine. And to avoid any questions about her wellbeing from her family, she asked to Asgore:  
"You look a little down, Dad. Is everything alright?"  
"I'm… as fine as I can be." - Asgore said with a sigh - "Considering that Chara's still out there somewhere, it's difficult to not worry. Where is she? What is she doing? What is she up to? Those questions run through my head all the time, since her return."  
"So, Chara's stuck in your mind?" - Chara asked, internally pleased by the torment she could inflinge to her (former) father - "How do you feel about her return?"  
"I already told you before, I'm shocked." - Asgore replied - "But it also pains me to see what she became…"  
Chara frowned. What did Asgore mean? _"Is he disappointed? He's unhappy that I didn't become the perfect little 'savior' of monsterkind?"_ \- she asked herself with irritation.  
"...I wasn't blind, I knew that she mustn't have been very happy before falling in the Underground." - Asgore pursued - "I really hoped her scars would heal and that she'd be happy with us."  
Chara was surprised to hear this. Asgore sounded genuine saying this. Did this mean that he cared a little bit? But then, Asriel spoke on his turn. Drinking the last sip of his own tea, he said:  
"Chara always spoke badly about humanity, to the point she almost denied her own species. She even told me once she wished to be a monster, like everyone in the Underground."  
_"It was the time after Gaster acted all racist towards me… that hypocrite."_ \- Chara thought - _"He's all loud about his hatred for humanity, yet he's not much different from them. I'm glad he's amnesic now. He doesn't deserve to remember happiness."_  
"In the end, I guess she succeeded at that." - Asriel then pursued with a sad tone, surprising both Asgore and Chara - "Considering how evil she is now, she certainly became a **monster**."  
Those words made Chara want to punch Asriel in the face right there and then.  
"Asriel, you shouldn't say that…" - Asgore said uncomfortably.  
"But it's somewhat true, isn't it? Chara always had some issues. I was just too blind to really see it." - Asriel replied with a sad sigh, then looked at "Frisk" with a sad smile - "She was the one to teach me the 'kill or be killed' philosophy. And I'm gratefuly every single day that you made me see the truth. I've said it many times by now, but you're very special, Frisk. I'm glad that you're nothing like Chara."  
"It's… very _nice_ to hear, Asriel." - Chara replied, while hating her brother even more in the inside.

_**Later...**_

Chara was walking down the street in the direction of Papyrus home, her goal clear in mind. _"Today, he'll fully surrender to my charm. Today, Frisk will lose Papyrus forever."_ \- she was telling herself with anticipation. Chara couldn't wait until she'd make Papyrus hers. Once this task done, she would accomplish her revenge. _"Frisk stole my family from me. Whatever I do, they'll never really love me. I'll take Papyrus away from her in counterpart. Knowing that her 'true love' surrendered to my charm will shatter her heart in million pieces."_ Chara's grin grew wide and she felt a strong desire to laugh. She almost didn't care that she was in the middle of a street and that anyone could see her. She was so close to the accomplishement of her revenge and it felt so freaking good! Chara almost did surrender to her impulse, but then she heard familiar children voices.  
"Hey Frisk!"  
Chara stopped and quickly composed herself and looked at her left, where she could see Sam, Piper, and their dog friend play on the playground. Chara smiled sweetly and entered the area, greeting the three children who walked up to her.  
"Hello guys." - she said - "Are you having fun?"  
"Yeah, it's nice to be on holidays." - Sam replied.  
"And did you have a good time at the Dreemurrs' place?" - Piper asked.  
"Yeah, I guess I did." - Chara replied with a casual shrug, even though the mention of the Dreemurrs did tense her up inside.  
"How are they doing?" - Sam asked on his turn - "How are they dealing with… you-know-what?"  
"They're doing fine." - Chara said, then hurried to change the topic - "And how do you do… Pupamy? How is your family doing?"  
Chara hoped that the kids didn't notice the light hesitation on the puppy boy's name. She took care to retain most of the information from the life of the family members, but Pupamy's name just didn't came up as naturally in her mind. _"Calm down, I remembered quickly enough."_ \- she told herself - _"They didn't notice."_ Pupamy answered a bit shyly:  
"Um, my parents are doing alright. And I'm okay too, I guess…"  
"That's wonderful." - Chara smiled sweetly - "Alright, I'm going home now."  
"Does that mean we must go home too?" - Piper asked, clearly hoping that she wouldn't have to.  
"No, just stay outside for a while!" - Chara said, her voice a bit needier than intended, but she quickly covered it up - "I mean, it's summer holidays! You should take all the time you want to have fun."  
"So we can keep playing outside for a bit longer?" - Sam asked.  
"Of course! Play as _long_ as you wish."  
Chara obviously needed the kids to stay outside for a while, so she could have all the time she needed to "ultimately seduce" Papyrus.  
"Oh, okay… But Mom says we shouldn't stay outside for too long... considering what's going on…" - Piper said hesitantly.  
_"Damn. I guess I'll have to reassure those brats to make them stay outside."_ \- Chara thought. She couldn't allow them enter the house while she'd be doing her thing. She really hated to play the comforting grandma to the twins, but she had no choice. If she wanted to get her revenge, she'd have to play Frisk's role to the end. Chara knelt down to the kids and put her hands over each's shoulder. She smiled at them gently and said with a soft reassuring voice:  
"Don't worry, kids. As long as your mommy's not too far around, you two are safe. Chara won't hurt you, I promise."  
_"For now, at least."_ \- she mentally added.  
"You really mean it?" - Sam asked.  
"I do." - Chara nodded - "Chara can be scary and powerful. But all together, we're much stronger than her. You know why?"  
The kids looked at "Frisk" expectingly.  
"Because we're all united by love. Not the Level of Violence, but the good love." - Chara kept going - "Because we all care for each other and we do anything to protect each other from anyone's harm."  
"Heh, I guess you have a point." - Sam smiled - "Yeah, Chara can't harm us. 'Cause we're all together, while she's alone."  
"W-well said, Sam..." - Chara replied, keeping a gentle face taking _a lot_ of effort.  
"We trust your opinion, Frisk." - Piper said on her turn - "And Chara's nothing on you."  
"I'm glad that you two believe in me."  
Chara then hugged the kids, even though that contact repulsed her. How she hated them, just like all humans. As she was holding the twins in her arms, she only wished she could break their necks right at the moment. When she pulled away, she ruffled the kids hair as she said them bye.  
"Bye, Pupamy." - she then did the same to the puppy monster - "Take care."  
"G-goodbye, Frisk." - Pupamy replied.  
When Chara left the playground to resume her way home, Pupamy looked after her with a frown. The twins quickly noticed their friend's puzzled expression.  
"What's wrong, Pupamy?" - Sam asked.  
"Your face looks weird." - Piper said.  
"I don't know..." - Pupamy replied, still frowning - "It's just that Frisk, she… she doesn't smell normal."

At Grillby's, Sans was sitting at his usual spot, having his lunch. He was so deep in thought that he almost failed to notice Noelle arrive and sit next to him.  
"oh, hi kiddo…" - he said with a slightly distracted tone - "how's your magic doing? sill misbehaving?"  
"No, it's working fine. But after two hours of training, I'm exhausted." - Noelle replied, before ordering a drink.  
Sans knew about her magic issues, since Noelle told him about it after she talked with the Annoying Dog. The issue concerned Sans, but Noelle decided to simply follow the Dog's advice this time. So, she's been training her magic and patterns since then, while emptying her mind. The Dog told her that her doubts affected her magic and that she had to focus on what truly mattered, that is remembering what she was really fighting for. And so, Noelle decided to not think about Chara or her LV while she was training. She was thinking only about the creativity of the patterns of her attacks. And progressively, it made her magic steadier. True, there were small momens when the thought about Chara would cross Noelle's mind and the bones would start to shudder in a threat to dissipate. But when that happened, Noelle would chase Chara away from her mind and replace the thought of her by much nicer things. And thus, the magic bones would turn stable again. Noelle just hoped that her problem would be completely gone soon, because it wasn't always easy to not think about Chara and her threat _at all_ during her trainings. After all, she was still out there, while she and others were oblivious what she was up to.  
"And how are you, Sans? You look pensive." - Noelle remarked.  
"yeah, well... i was thinking about something pap told me last night." - Sans replied.  
"Huh? Is something going on?" - Noelle asked, getting concerned.  
"not really, don't worry about it."  
"Sans, tell me." - Noelle insisted.  
"fine. it looks like your parents are going through some couple problems." - Sans replied - "based on what papyrus told me."  
"Couple problems..? That's a first!" - Noelle said with a frown - "My parents' love is strong. What could be going wrong?"  
"those are my exact thoughts, noelle." - Sans replied - "since papyrus and frisk got in a relationship, everything's been going well between them. they've been loving, caring, supporting, trusting… so, it was a surprise for me to hear from pap that he was feeling uncomfortable around his wife lately."  
"...Uh. Are those his exact words? That he's feeling 'uncomfortable'?"  
"maybe not, but that was the idea." - Sans said with a sigh - "papyrus says something feels off about frisk's behaviour around him."  
"And... what does he mean by that?" - Noelle asked curiously.  
"that frisk is either distant, either too seductive. seductive in a wrong way, he says." - Sans answered - "apparently, things feel wrong when it comes to intimacy, or something."  
"Oh. I... see…" - Noelle blushed at the thought - "So, um… what does Dad plan doing about it?"  
"he said he'll talk with frisk." - Sans replied before taking a sip of ketchup - "but i dunno, this situation really puzzles me. why would frisk change her behaviour around him so suddenly? pap says the changes occured less than a week ago."  
Noelle got thoughtful at this. What her uncle just said puzzled her too now. What could this mean? Noelle really didn't want her parents to have relationship problems, especially that she finally had a stable family after all those long years.  
"what about you, noelle?" - Sans then asked her - "maybe you noticed something different about your mother too?"  
Noelle thought about it and she quickly recalled a conversation she had with her two days ago. When Frisk said something that Noelle thought being too out of character for her.  
"Actually... There is that one time when she-"  
She was cut off as Sam, Piper and Pupamy rushed to the counter. The three kids were panting, since they've been running up to the restaurant. Noelle looked at them, asking:  
"Hey, what's the matter kids?"  
"Mom... Pupamy said something that worried us." - Piper said.  
"It's pretty weird, and we thought we should tell you too." - Sam said on his turn.  
"Oh? What is it, Pupamy?" - Noelle asked to the puppy boy.  
"Noelle, I... I'm not sure why, but… Well, you see we were playing on the playground and Frisk passed by to say 'hi'." - Pupamy started nervously - "And when she was close enough, I noticed something odd. Frisk smells weird."  
"What… What do you mean by 'smells weird'?" - Noelle frowned.  
"that's not nice, kid. she doesn't stink, ya know." - Sans said - "she bathes more often than i do."  
"It's not what I mean..!" - Pupamy replied - "I'm not saying that Frisk smells bad, just that she smells… different. As in... she doesn't smell like herself."  
"Wait, as if she smells like a different person?" - Noelle asked.  
"...I suppose."  
Noelle pondered on the matter. After all, Pupamy was a dog monster, so it only made sense that he could identify people by their personal smell. But now, it made her wonder. If Frisk didn't smell like herself, did that mean that…?  
"Sans..." - Noelle gasped as she turned to him and met his serious glance - "If Mom smells different and acts unusually for her, do you think that..?"  
"yes, i'm thinking the same thing, noelle." - Sans replied.  
"She's been replaced, and I have an idea by _who_." - Noelle said as she quickly stood up from her chair, then looked down at the three children - "Kids, when did you last see her?"  
"I don't know, maybe five minutes ago..?" - Sam replied - "She was heading home."  
"oh no... papyrus is home alone." - Sans' eyesockets darkened.  
"We must go." - Noelle said.  
But she couldn't take the kids along, neither leave them wander around unsupervised. Noelle made a sign to Grillby, who quickly walked up to her.  
"Grillby, can you please keep an eye on the kids while we're gone?" - Noelle requested with an urgent tone - "And also not let them exit the restaurant? There's a very urgent business."  
"Of course, Noelle." - Grillby said with a nod - "I'll watch over them."  
"Thank you, Grillby." - Noelle replied, before she and Sans rushed outside.

Meantime, Papyrus was staring at "Frisk" who, as he understood now, wasn't her at all. It now all made sense to him. The woman in front of him was giving him a questioning look.  
"YOU'RE NOT FRISK..." - Papyrus said, his wide eyesockets glowing purple.  
Chara was a little startled by the statement coming from him. How could _he_ have guessed?  
"What are you saying, Papyrus? Of course that's me!" - Chara kept pretending - "Who else can I be?"  
"I HAVE MY GUESS… BUT YOU CERTAINLY ARE NOT FRISK!" - Papyrus replied with confidence.  
"Please, stop that. You're kind of hurting my feelings now." - Chara faked a hurt expression.  
"STOP PRETENDING, YOU CAN'T CONVINCE ME." - Papyrus said seriously - "I UNDERSTOOD YOU'RE NOT FRISK THE MOMENT YOU KISSED ME. BECAUSE I KNOW HOW KISSING HER FEELS. IT'S ALWAYS FILLED WITH _LOVE_. AND I KNOW HOW LOVE FEELS LIKE. AND YOUR KISS DIDN'T FEEL LIKE THAT AT ALL."  
What Papyrus said was true. He could make the difference between a kiss exchanged with his beloved human and a kiss from another. It probably sounded cliché, but it was just how things were. When he and Frisk kissed, it held a deep meaning, it had that undiscribable and magical sensation that would make his head spin and his SOUL swell. However, despite Chara's attempt to make it as "hot" as she could, the kiss Papyrus had was just empty. It wasn't something that could be described; only one who experienced true love could understand.  
"...Fine, I guess the act's pointless now."  
Chara then glitched to reveal her true appearance. Papyrus gasped, even though he had guessed who the woman would be.  
"CHARA..."  
The woman smiled widely and flipped her hair with her hands.  
"At least, I can be my gorgeous self again. Gods, it feels so good!" - she exclaimed - "But really, Papyrus. Do you have an idea the effort I put in the pretending? You could've at least enjoyed it!"  
"WHERE IS FRISK? WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?" - Papyrus asked firmly, giving her a hard look.  
"Oh don't worry, she's fine, stuck in the destroyed by me timeline." - Chara replied with a wave of her hand.  
"SO SHE'S BEEN THERE ALL ALONE FOR DAYS..?" - a look of horror crossed Papyrus' face, before demanding - "BRING HER BACK! BRING FRISK BACK NOW!"  
"I'm sorry, but I just don't want to!" - Chara said with a nasty grin, raising her hands - "The whole point was to steal Frisk's life, to make her pay for stealing mine. So even if my plan failed now, I want her to keep suffering and I'm not bringing her back!"  
"YOU _WILL_ BRING HER BACK!" - Papyrus' eyesockets glowed red - "DO IT _NOW_, OR I'LL..."  
"You will what? Kill me?" - Chara scoffed - "We both know you can't."  
"MAYBE, BUT I SURELY WILL FIGHT FOR FRISK UNTIL THE VERY END!"  
Papyrus had never felt so angry towards anyone in his life. His eyes were now displaying multiple emotions at once. His eyes reflected anger, determination, but also his _love_ for Frisk. It was true that deep down, despite his anger, Papyrus didn't have it in him to kill. He also knew that killing Chara wouldn't change anything, since she was the only one who could bring Frisk back. But, he was no less ready to fight. He wouldn't fear fight or hurt Chara, if it meant to eventually save Frisk. If it meant to prevent Chara from causing to Frisk more pain. If Papyrus would fight, it wasn't for revenge or to hurt Chara, but it was to protect his beloved wife.  
"So you really want a fight then?" - Chara asked, as she took her knife in her hand - "Alright, then. I've missed this."  
Papyrus didn't waste time to make a skeletal blaster appear above his head. The skull opened its mouth in a threatening manner.  
"CHARA, WE DON'T HAVE TO COME TO THIS." - Papyrus said calmly - "ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS BRING FRISK BACK."  
"And cross my plans of revenge? No, thank you. I'm pretty much enjoying myself by seeing her suffer." - Chara replied nastily.  
Papyrus' eyesockets glowed red again, hating the thought of Frisk suffering somewhere in that destroyed timeline. Then, without thinking further, before Chara had the chance to do anything, the blaster fired, which expulsed Chara out of the bedroom to the corridor. After a moment, Chara sat up with a huff and said darkly:  
"So you really want to play that, huh?"  
Papyrus was standing at the doorframe, the blaster floating on his side, his gaze on Chara never flinching. Chara stood up, saying with a wide creepy smile:  
"I'd _**love**_ to see your head fall off your spine _again_."  
Before Papyrus had the time to react, Chara quickly charged at him, the knife in her hand. But before the knife had the time to hit Papyrus, the noise of an opening door got heard, and Chara felt a sudden pressure and weight on her SOUL that prevented her from moving. She looked down at her chest and saw that her SOUL had turned blue. With an irritated sigh, Chara looked at her side and saw Noelle being at the stairs with a furious look on her face. Her right hand was glowing blue, controlling the blue magic over Chara's SOUL.  
"If you _dare_ to hurt my father, I'll smash your creepy grin against the floor _and_ ceiling until you _lose all your teeth_." - Noelle threatened, her voice low and dangerous.  
Sans had meantime teleported upstairs, checking on his brother.  
"bro, you're alright?" - Sans asked as his left eyesocket glowed purple.  
"YES... YES, I'M ALRIGHT, SANS..." - Papyrus replied - "BUT FRISK... CHARA HID HER AWAY IN THE DESTROYED TIMELINE! WE MUST DO SOMETHING..!"  
"we know, bro. we will get her out of there." - Sans said reassuringly.  
"Good luck with that. I'm curious to see you try." - Chara commented, her evil grin never leaving her face.  
"Bring my mother back _now_. This isn't a request, but an _order_." - Noelle said, her tone getting darker at each word.  
"And what if i don't comply, 'Your Highness'?" - Chara replied with a challenging look.  
Noelle didn't reply. Not in words, that is. Instead, with her magic grip on the SOUL, Noelle made Chara fly long the corridor until her back hit the wall. Walking up closer, Noelle then violently lifted Chara up to make her meet the ceiling, before re-applying the natural gravity and making Chara fall down from the second floor to the living room. Papyrus and Sans were gazing at Noelle wide-eyed, but she was oblivious to their stare, not that she cared at the moment. She descended the stairs slowly, waching how Chara was struggling to stand due to the pain she was feeling everywhere in her body. Chara looked up at Noelle when she was standing two steps from her. She gave her a dead glare, as if mentally swearing to make her pay for this. But Noelle was unimpressed.  
"Ha... haha... You... So you're following your uncle Sans' steps, uh?" - Chara said with a faint laughter - "Now you're going to give me a 'bad time'?"  
"Give you a bad time?" - Noelle asked back, before shaking her head - "Oh no, what I shall give you isn't just a _bad time_. I'll give you the _worst time of your whole existence_."  
Noelle's eyes glowed pink brightly and she summoned bones around the living room, to prevent any harm caused to Papyrus or Sans. Chara looked at Noelle with her angry red eyes, her determination never faltering. Noelle was staring back at her with equal determination, her anger rising at each moment. Her pink glow quickly turned red and then she hissed dangerously:  
"If you don't bring my mother back right now, I swear you'll regret being ever born."

Frisk was sitting in the dark, her eyes closed and her expression peaceful. She was re-living in her head the most precious moment of her and Papyrus' life. She was remembering the day Noelle was born. Frisk remembered the happiness on Papyrus' face, as well as in her own heart, when they held their child for the very first time. She remembered crying happy tears for a while. Frisk remembered Papyrus saying that the baby was beautiful and that she resembled her a lot. She could also remember the weight of her baby in her arms. Every detail of that day was unforgotten, due to the great importance of that memory. It was the first time all the three of them were being a family. That day, it felt almost as though their three SOULs magically connected. _"That love that we felt that day was so strong and beautiful."_ \- Frisk thought, then her lips curved into a smile - _"I'd give anything now to feel it again, to be reunited with Papyrus and Noelle."_ And so, another dream generated itself in Frisk's palm. As she looked at it, she saw that this one was slightly different from the others. It was a bit bigger and its shine was twice brighter. Frisk smiled and then ate the dream. It felt so good. The dream eased the ache in her SOUL, as she felt the sweet and sparkling taste in her mouth. She didn't immediately notice that her SOUL started to glow brightly in a multicolored light. When she did, Frisk gasped in surprise. What did this mean? Why was her SOUL doing that?

The fight Sans and Papyrus had to witness was a pretty violent one. The scope of Noelle's power was a little terrifying, actually. Because in that fight, Chara barely had the chance to hurt Noelle (who became a pretty good dodger thanks to Sans), while Noelle was literally beating the crap out of her enemy. Noelle turned out to have a _deadly_ creativity when it came to her attacks. She could made dozens of bones fly at once or following a precise order, while combining with her handling of blue magic. Even without Karmic Retribution, her magic bones could inflict high damage due to the cleverness of the patterns. And Noelle's magic didn't once falter during this fight. Her anger towards Chara was so strong that it made her throw away her doubts and self-questioning. All Noelle knew at that moment was how much she hated Chara. The living room was a mess, and Chara was now spitting blood. Chara wasn't pretty to see, actually. She had wounds and bruises everywhere, a swollen eye, a spot of blood on her green shirt and her hair bangs were soaked in blood due to a cut on her head. Chara was even limping and the hand that was holding the knife was trembling. But she wasn't giving up. Every once in a while, Noelle would demand Chara to bring Frisk back, to which she'd always answer "never". And each time, Noelle would either send a row of bones at Chara, or smash her against the ceiling with blue magic. As determined as Chara was, she soon noticed that it was more and more difficult to hold her knife while suffering from her injuries. Her HP were getting pretty low. _"I suppose the wisest thing to do now is flee."_ \- Chara thought. She then gave Noelle her nasty smile, saying:  
"You know that I can just glitch away at any moment, right? And that you'd be left without any way to free your mommy?"  
"Don't you dare..!" - Noelle shouted.  
"Ha ha, see ya later, loser!"  
But then... nothing happened. The moment when Chara was supposed to glitch away, she just didn't. Chara frowned, then her face got alarmed. She was literally locked in this big cage of bones. Seeing that Chara was for whatever reason unable to leave, Noelle used blue magic to increase the pressure on the SOUL and make Chara fall on her knees. As Chara brought her hand to her chest by instinct, Noelle walked up to her with dangerously glowing pink eyes. Then, she summoned bones in a circle pattern, that surrounded Chara.  
"I need just one second to unleash those." - Noelle said quietly, yet threatingly - "Just bring my mother back, and it won't happen."  
"...You see now? I told you that the day you'll want to kill me would come." - Chara said with a sly grin.  
"I won't repeat myself."  
"I will _never_ release Frisk." - Chara said with a strong tone - "She will suffer in the void I once created. And you will never see her again."  
Noelle inhaled and exhaled several times as she was feeling her blood boil in rage. She always thought that forgiving was the solution. _This_, however, wasn't something she could forgive. She made a move with her hand, making the bones fly closer to Chara.  
"NOELLE, DON'T!" - Papyrus yelled.  
The bones stopped, while Noelle looked up to see her father and Sans look at her from behind the bone bars. Papyrus spoke again, in order to reason his daughter.  
"KILLING HER WON'T SOLVE ANYTHING. NO MATTER HOW HORRENDOUS HER ACTIONS ARE, YOU CAN'T KILL HER."  
"I can't believe you're on her side now. Don't you care that she kidnapped your wife?" - Noelle asked.  
"IT'S NOT ABOUT CHARA, BUT ABOUT YOU!" - Papyrus replied - "I DON'T WANT YOU TO BE A MURDERER! I DON'T WANT TO SEE THE HEART OF MY DAUGHTER BE TAINTED BY DARKNESS. SO PLEASE, SPARE HER!"  
"If I spare her... she'll hurt us again... and again..." - Noelle breathed out, her tone almost dead.  
"NOELLE, I UNDERSTAND YOU'RE ANGRY, BUT THAT'S NOT YOU! YOU'RE A GOOD AND FORGIVING PERSON, REMEMBER?" - Papyrus pleaded.  
"kid, i'm usually for punishing the sinners, but i'm with pap this time." - Sans spoke on his turn - "killing her now is pointless anyway. so drop it, and we'll find another way to save frisk."  
Noelle didn't respond. Her anger was way too strong, she really wanted to let it all go. She really wanted Chara to suffer, just like she had surely made Frisk suffer out there. _Chara had to pay._  
_"Rule number 1: When you fight, do it only to protect others."_  
Noelle almost gasped as the Dog's words echoed in her mind. She recalled her recent conversation with him. The Dog said that she had to follow her morals and remember why she was fighting for - protecting the ones she cared for. _"I'm quite too late to protect Mom now, am I?"_ \- Noelle told herself. So what was the point in fighting just for protection? She already failed at that. Noelle looked straight into Chara's red eyes. It's because of her that she lost her mother again. Chara had no right to do this, she had to pay. Noelle wanted to finish her off. But then, she recalled there was another rule. What was it again?  
_"Rule number 2: Always trust rule number 1."_  
Noelle then felt like she was lost. What was she supposed to do? Surrender to her current feelings and put a real end to Chara's evil deeds, or listen to the Dog's wisdom despite everything?  
_"Always trust rule number 1."_ \- the words echoed in her head again.  
"NOELLE... PLEASE, I BEG YOU, DON'T DO IT." - Papyrus said softly, with small tears glimmering in his dark eyesockets - "OR YOU'LL HAVE TO LIVE WITH IT FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE."  
Noelle felt herself cool down, just a little. But the bones were still threatingly close to Chara.  
"noelle, if you kill chara now, you won't be any better than her." - Sans said on his turn - "but you _are_ better than that, aren't you?"  
_"__**Always**__ trust rule number 1."_  
Noelle shuddered, then made all her magic bones vanish. She released her grip on Chara's SOUL. Chara looked at her curiously, then she grinned. _"She was close enough to touch darkness. But she didn't have it in her to go to the end."_ The red-eyed woman then stood up and… limping, went away through the front door. Nobody did anything to stop her. After a few moments, Noelle fell on her knees and started to sob. Sans and Papyrus walked up to her and put their hands on her shoulders. They didn't need to exchange any words to know why Noelle was crying. It was because she just went almost too far, she almost killed a person. She went against her own morals out of pure anger and desire of vengeance. But Noelle was also frustrated because they had no way to bring Frisk back home.  
"What will we do now...?" - Noelle then spoke between her sobs - "...How can we even save Mom..?"  
"Don't cry, Noelle! I already took care of that!" - a familiar voice said from behind.  
Noelle, Papyrus and Sans turned around to see that there were standing the Annoying Dog and... Frisk. At once, they jumped on their feet, shocked and relieved to see Frisk back home.  
"Mom..!" - Noelle exclaimed happily.  
"Noelle... Papyrus..." - Frisk breathed out with a happy smile.  
She then walked up to Papyrus, who gladly took her in his arms. But the next moment, Frisk lost consciousness.  
"FRISK..? HUMAN WIFE?" - Papyrus called for her, getting worried.  
"It's okay, it's just a reaction to crossing timelines." - the Annoying Dog reassured the group - "She's not injured in any way. Just let her rest and tomorrow she'll feel well again."  
"how did you find her, dog?" - Sans asked.  
"I just saw a signal from the timeline she was in. In the black void, there was one bright light emitted by her SOUL. This permitted me to track her and then bring her back here." - the Dog explained with a smile.  
Papyrus whispered a "thank you" to the dog, as he was stroking his wife's brown hair. He looked down at Frisk and noted how at peace his SOUL was again, now that she was back home.

Frisk slowly opened her eyes and it took her a few moments to process the essential - she was back home, in her bedroom. She turned her head, to see Papyrus look at her with concern.  
"Papyrus..."  
"FRISK..! YOU'RE AWAKE! I'M SO GLAD THAT YOU'RE ALRIGHT, AND..." - Papyrus then paused and looked away as in shame - "I AM SO VERY SORRY, FRISK."  
"Sorry..? What for?" - Frisk asked weakly.  
"FOR NOT REALIZING SOONER THAT YOU WERE GONE." - Papyrus replied, but after a moment he clarified - "I MEAN, I DID NOTICE SOME DIFFERENCES IN YOUR-... I MEAN, CHARA'S BEHAVIOUR. BUT I JUST COULDN'T UNDERSTAND THE REASON OF THE CHANGE. I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHY AND IT WAS ONLY TODAY THAT I UNDERSTOOD WHAT WAS GOING ON."  
"What... What made you understand she was not me?" - Frisk asked.  
"I UNDERSTOOD IT AS SOON AS SHE... UM, K-KISSED ME." - Papyrus said, not daring to look into his wife's eyes - "I KNOW, YOU'RE PROBABLY UPSET ABOUT THIS, BUT I SWEAR THAT I DIDN'T KISS HER BACK! AND THAT I DIDN'T ENJOY-..."  
He was cut off as Frisk suddenly wrapped her arms around him and burried her face into his red scarf. Papyrus automatically returned the embrace, but then he heard Frisk sniffle.  
"FRISK..? ARE YOU CRYING? PLEASE, DON'T BE MAD AT ME. I'M TRULY SORRY FOR WHAT HAPPENED AND JUST TELL ME HOW I CAN MAKE THIS UP FOR YOU…"  
"I'm so glad..." - Frisk replied, before looking up at her husband with a smile - "I knew it... I knew you'd see the difference... I just knew."  
"OF COURSE I'D SEE THE DIFFERENCE." - Papyrus said as he gently stoke Frisk's cheek - "I'D KNOW YOU AND YOUR KISS ANYWHERE."  
Frisk smiled warmly at this and another tear fell down her cheek. Papyrus hurried to wipe it away with his gloved hand and hugged her tightly to his chest again.  
"Oh, you're awake!" - Noelle said from the doorframe.  
Papyrus and Frisk looked at her, and then Frisk gave a smile to her daughter.  
"Noelle... I'm so glad that you're okay. I'm happy to see you."  
Noelle smiled back and she walked up to her mother so they could hug.  
"I'm happy you're not hurt, Mom… I'm so sorry for what happened to you."  
"It's alright, my dear... I'm back home, safe and sound." - Frisk said gently.  
Papyrus then wrapped his arms around the two ladies. Frisk smiled again, the reunion making her feel content inside. She was back home with her daughter and Papyrus, and Chara's words turned out to be lies.  
"By the way, you must be hungry Mom?" - Noelle then said, pulling away from the hug.  
"I guess I am... I ate nothing but dreams those past few days."  
"Alright, I shall go downstairs make dinner."  
As Noelle exited the room, she noticed with the corner of her eye that Papyrus planted a gentle peck on Frisk's lips. Noelle smiled; she was glad that her parents were always so affectionate with each other. Not many people were lucky to know a love so pure. Noelle then looked around, noting how convenient it was that Dog took care to clean the living room with his magic. (Or were those divine powers? It probably didn't really matter.) As Noelle went to the kitchen, she thought about Chara again. Her look darkened and she mentally swore: _"This is the last time you hurt those I love. I will no longer let you. And I won't allow you corrupt me."_

* * *

**A/N: I don't have much to say about this chapter, hehe. ^^ I'll just say that there are only four chapters left before the end! I hope you'll love how things will play out. :D**


	44. Chapter 44

Chara was hiding in the woods beneath the Mount Ebott to recover from being beaten up by Noelle. The latter undenyingly was very powerful at magic, especially when driven by a strong emotion such as anger. Chara sat down beneath a tree with a wince of pain experienced at the level of her ribs (she probably had a broken one, but she couldn't tell for sure). She looked up at the darkening sky, before closing her eyes in a poor attempt to relax and forget the pain. _"I was so close… so damn close..!"_ \- Chara was mentally yelling - _"I wonder how Noelle figured out about my plan, though? ...Ugh, I guess it doesn't matter. My plan failed and that's it…"_ Chara then took an apple she managed to steal from the garden of a monster. Being monster food, it would heal some of her injuries. As she bit into the fruit, the woman could sense some of her pain ease. She kept eating while thinking about her defeat: _"And Papyrus… he just wouldn't let me do it… Just because he 'loves Frisk truly'... How disgusting and pathetic…"_ When Chara finished the apple, she threw the waste away, then took another one from her pocket. She needed to heal most of her injuries right then, to recover better in her sleep. _"I don't get why my gained powers vanished, though? Are those limited?"_ \- Chara then wondered - _"Without those powers, I lose some of my advantage against Noelle and her family."_ Chara was surprised that the powers she gained after the erasure of the world turned out to not be unfinite. Considering _where_ she got those powers from, she had always assumed that it would know no limits. But she'd been proved wrong near the end of her battle against Noelle. Now, she no longer could glitch away. Not only she'd be bound to common physical limitations, but she no longer could go back to her erased timeline. Chara had thus nowhere to hide. She was stuck there, in this happy timeline. _"Alright, think now… if I could get those powers in my timeline, I can do the same here..! That's it! All I have to do is repeat what I did years ago! I must erase the world again." _But Chara was a bit disappointed with the solution she just came with. Her plan was to make her family suffer, not just end everything. Chara wanted the Dreemurrs to regret their actions before she "fell down". She wanted everyone know that she wasn't one to mess with. _That she was the one in control._ She wanted to be feared. But if she'd have to destroy the world, it would just be the end of everything, another void. The woman knew she'd have to make a choice. Chara then closed her red eyes and thought that she'd decide after a night of sleep.

The next day, Noelle and her family had the surprise to get a visit from the Annoying Dog. He just randomly appeared in the middle of the living room, making Noelle almost drop the cup of calming tea made for Frisk (she really needed it after her recent experience) that she's been carrying from the kitchen to the living room. The Dog looked a little amused by how startled Noelle was. But the others did jump and gasp by his sudden apparition too.  
"Dog..! I almost spilled the tea everywhere!" - Noelle scolded him - "Warn us next time..!"  
"What should I have done instead? Knock the door? I can't do that with my dog paws!" - the Dog replied.  
"anyway, what are ya doing here?" - Sans asked him - "it's rare for you to be so… present."  
"I'm here because I have bad news, guys." - the animal replied, getting everyone's attention - "Now that Chara's plan failed, I think I know what she'll do next. And it's not good at all."  
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN? WHAT WORSE CAN SHE DO WHAT SHE ALREADY DID?" - Papyrus asked as he gently squeezed Frisk's shoulder in a protective manner.  
"I'm afraid she's probably planning to destroy the world… again." - the Annoying Dog replied seriously.  
"What..?" - Noelle's eyes widened and briefly glowed purple.  
"But I thought what she truly wanted is to make us suffer." - Frisk said quietly, clutching her cup of tea - "Make _me_ suffer…"  
"That's still what she wants. But she's losing her powers. And power is what she craves for the most." - the white dog explained - "Thus, the only way for her to get her powers back is to do what she did the last time - destroy the world."  
"how can she want for _more_ power?" - Sans muttered uder his breath - "that chick already has a LV of 20. what else does she want?"  
"More importantly: how would she do to… destroy our world?" - Noelle asked - "It's normally not something a person can do single-handedly."  
"It depends how you do that." - the Dog replied - "You do remember about the Legendary Artefact, right?"  
"Yeah, it's the… 'Heart' of our world."  
"You could even assimilate it to its SOUL." - the Dog replied with a nod - "But like you already got to see this, the Legendary Artefact is much more than a simple piece of glass. It's a vessel containing the biggest amount of magic; a magic that keeps this world together. If one comes to smash the artefact, the world-"  
"The world gets destroyed." - Noelle understood.  
A heavy silence followed those words. What a revelation! After a moment, Frisk asked:  
"But... but if the Legendary Artefact's the most magical thing, how does it come one person can simply… smash it?"  
"I said it's more than just glass, but it's glass nonetheless. And glass breaks."  
"elementary logic!" - Sans commented with a hint of sarcasm.  
"SO, IF I UNDERSTAND RIGHT, WE MUST STOP CHARA BY PROTECTING THE LEGENDARY ARTEFACT?" - Papyrus said.  
"That's right, Papyrus!" - the Dog said, wagging his tail a little - "All we have to do is to prevent the Legendary Artefact to get in her hands, before hiding it elsewhere."  
"Elsewhere..? But where is it even hidden now?" - Noelle asked.  
"Oh, didn't I already tell you? In every timeline, the Legendary Artefact is kept safe in the throne room, beneath the king's throne!" - the creator of the world replied easily - "I hid it there after realizing that Waterfall was too accessible."  
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" - Noelle said with a determined tone.  
"There's no time to waste." - Frisk added as she stood up from the couch.  
"FRISK, ARE YOU SURE IT'S A GOOD IDEA FOR YOU TO GO..?" - Papyrus said a bit nervously - "WOULDN'T IT BE SAFER FOR YOU TO STAY IN HERE?"  
"Dad's right. You went through a lot." - Noelle agreed, equally concerned for her mother.  
"No. The more we are, the better we can protect the Legendary Artefact." - Frisk replied - "I understand your concern, Papyrus, Noelle. It's true that I still must recover from… what happened. But the best way for me to do so is to stay active. Hiding from Chara won't help me."  
"BUT FRISK, SHE MIGHT HURT YOU AGAIN."  
"She won't. Asriel and my parents will be there. They're Boss Monsters, their magic's very powerful. And Noelle's coming too. Besides… you know I'm not _that much_ a damsel in distress." - Frisk said the last part with a little smile.  
"NO, OF COURSE NOT. I KNOW HOW STRONG YOU ARE." - Papyrus replied, then laid his hands over his wife's shoulders - "BUT IF YOU'RE GOING, I'M GOING TOO. I DON'T WANT US TO BE FAR APART, AS LONG AS CHARA'S A THREAT. I'LL KEEP MY BOTH EYESOCKETS ON YOU TO MAKE SURE NOTHING BAD HAPPENS TO YOU."  
"Alright, you can come with me." - Frisk smiled at him, then she turned to Sans - "Sans, can we rely on you to supervise the children?"  
"sure, no problem." - Sans replied - "i doubt chara'll show up here, but in any case, i won't let her touch a single hair on their heads."  
"Good... So, shall we go now?" - Noelle asked.  
"Yeah, let's go." - the Dog said, then paused - "But uh… Papyrus, Frisk, you go to New Home. Noelle and I have some business, so she'll join you later."  
"Oh..? What kind of business?" - Noelle asked surprised.  
"Not here, alright? It's a more private conversation." - the white dog replied.  
"Okay..."  
At that moment, Sam and Piper showed up from Noelle's bedroom. Seeing that the adults were about to go somewhere, they grew curious about the situation.  
"Hey, where are you guys going?" - Sam asked.  
"We're going to New Home." - Frisk replied - "There's something we must take care of there, to prevent Chara from doing more harm."  
"I guess that means we can't go with you?" - Piper asked with a light disappointement.  
"NO, THIS IS WAY TOO DANGEROUS FOR YOU." - Papyrus replied, shaking his head - "YOU'RE STAYING HERE WITH SANS."  
"Mind Sans, little ones." - Noelle instructed the kids - "Don't go outside until our return. And Sans, _please_ don't fall asleep. You know how kids are, they'd grab such an opportunity to sneak out."  
Sam and Piper gave their mother a glare, but it wasn't really an offended one. Because they knew that she actually had a point.  
"don't worry. i'll keep my eyesocket on them 'till you come back." - Sans replied.  
Noelle nodded gratefully in response. Papyrus and Frisk then left the house. Noelle, to the Dog's request, knelt down to touch him, before the two disappeared from the living room. The canine creator of the world teleported them away elsewhere.

Meanwhile in the Monster Hospital, Gaster was sitting in the common living room with Patty. Once again, they were playing checkers (not that they had anything much better to do). Patty really wanted to win at least once against Gaster, and prove him her point that they weren't that much different. In fact, she already _almost_ won twice recently. Patty took that as a sign that her chances were increasing. But that daily ritual was actually an occasion for her to just chat with Gaster. She loved to expose her point of view to him, even though he often responded by an unimpressed expression. But sometimes… Patty could swear that she saw a hint of interest in Gaster's eyesocket. And never once he had interrupted during her babbling. This surely meant that a part of him did care to hear her vision of things. The former scientist was definitely paying to Patty and her insanity more interest than he should, even though he barely realized it. This time, Patty was talking about people's tendency to "wear masks".  
"Isn't it obvious? Everybody wears a mask most of the time!" - she was saying - "Especially the medical staff. They wear it all the time, not wanting us to see their real face. But even though I can't see their faces, I can clearly see their little game. They can't fool me."  
"So, is this why you're not wearing any mask?" - Gaster asked curiously - "Because you think we should see each other's faces properly?"  
"Yes, you got it!" - Patty exclaimed with beaming eyes - "I hide nothing, I show my face freely! The others however, prefer to keep their faces hidden. Sadly, you're not an exception."  
"Me..? Are you saying I hide my true face?" - Gaster asked, getting a nod in response, then he shook his head - "I don't see what you're talking about. I'm like an open book."  
"You aren't. Your mask is what I see the most from you. But I have more interest in the real face hidden behind it." - Patty said, making a circular motion in the air with her finger, as if tracing the outline of Gaster's face - "I bet it's a handsome one."  
"Sorry to disappoint you, but what you're seeing now _is_ the real me." - Gaster replied, with his usual unimpressed face - "You don't know me long enough to make any guesses."  
"Well I believe I know you long enough to say that you actually _like_ your children." - Patty said, crossing her arms and raising her chin - "But you claim you don't care, just because it makes things easier for you."  
"And what makes you say that, hmm?" - Gaster narrowed his good eyesocket at the cat woman - "You barely saw us interact!"  
"Because I noticed in your room an item that wasn't there before. A plushie of a goat. May I assume it's a gift from the kids?" - Patty asked rhetorically - "Did you not care, you'd have tossed it under the bed or something. However, your plushie's sitting properly near your pillow. This makes me think you keep it near you while you sleep. Oh, maybe you even hug it? I can imagine how cute it looks..!"  
"I do _not_ hug the toy." - Gaster replied, yet averting his gaze.  
"You definitely do hug it." - Patty said, her smile taking a cat-like shape - "Which means I'm right about you and the kids."  
"Uhh... Alright, let's _imagine_ that I do hug the toy." - Gaster started, making Patty giggle a little, but he frowned more - "I said - _**imagine**_. Anyway, even if I do, it proves nothing regarding my opinion about the kids. There's no direct connection between the one and the other."  
"There _is_ a connection." - Patty protested - "If you really despised them for being humans as much as you claim, you wouldn't even keep their gift in your room. You'd try everything to get rid of that thing. But you didn't and kept it near you instead. I say it's the proof of love!"  
"_Love?_ No. Never happening." - Gaster scoffed, crossing his arms - "I can admit that the kids turned out not nearly as bad as the rest of humanity and that I'm intrigued, but I do not feel for them anything close to that feeling called 'love'."  
"You can say whatever you like, I don't believe you." - Patty said with a stubborn tone, underlying her words with a big smile.  
"...Think whatever you want, Patty. I really don't care." - Gaster replied with a sigh - "Anyway, where were we? Whose turn is it?"  
"I believe it's mine..."  
And so, Patty looked at the checkers board. After a few moments, her face beamed and her already big cat eyes rounded even more. Gaster looked at the board on his turn and he understood.  
"No..." - he breathed out in disbelief, realizing the same thing.  
"Yes!" - Patty replied, her grin intensifying, displaying the white points of her canines.  
It took just two moves for Patty to win the game, just like that. When she did, the cat monster let out a loud "yahoo!", raising her fists in the air, while Gaster's gaze was constantly switching from Patty to the checkboard. The former scientist had an incredulous look on his face. How was it possible? Patty actually _won against him_?  
"No way... That just can't be..!" - he said, his left eyesocket open wide.  
"Yes, yes, yes, it can!" - Patty singsonged in response, as she sat closer to him - "So admit it now, Gaster!"  
"Admit what, exactly?"  
"You know what! That you and I aren't very different. I could beat you at checkers!" - Patty said, her golden eyes shining in joy - "My mind _can_ equal yours!"  
"How many tries did it take you to beat me?" - Gaster took a sarcastic tone.  
"Come on, you _have to_ admit I was right." - Patty insisted, the large grin never leaving her face.  
"Pff, no." - Gaster scoffed, crossing his arms - "You cheated. You purposely distracted me with your nonsensical babbling."  
"Oooh, look who's a sore loser!" - Patty said, letting out a light giggle, then added with a quieter tone - "You're kinda funny."  
"I am not-" - Gaster started to protest.  
But then, all of sudden, Patty leaned closer and planted a light kiss on Gaster's cheek.  
"...funny." - the skeleton finished with a trailing tone.  
The expression on the skeleton's face was difficult to describe. It was a mix of surprise and confusion. His good eye was open wide. After a moment of processing Patty's unexpected gesture, he asked:  
"Why... Why did you just..?"  
"Well, I guess because-"  
But Patty didn't have the time to finish her sentence, as a nurse walked up to her and informed her:  
"You have your meeting with the psychiatrist now."  
"Nuuuh, can't this wait..?" - Patty asked to the nurse, clearly not pleased.  
"No, it can't. He's waiting for you in his office now." - the nurse insisted - "I shall escort you there."  
"Fine... I guess I must go now. See you tomorrow, Gaster?" - Patty said to the skeleton as she stood up from her chair.  
"Yes... See you tomorrow..." - Gaster replied quietly.  
He watched Patty leave the hall with that same confusion. Patty really took him by surprise with her kiss. Gaster was barely realizing it as he brought his hand to the spot where Patty's lips touched his cheekbone. _"Why did she do that..? Why would she even __**want**__ to do that?"_ \- he asked himself, clearly puzzled - _"It was so random, unasked for, and…"_ Gaster stopped that train of thought, moving to another one. _"Did she actually want to kiss me… or is she entering another schyzophrenia phase..? The second option seems more likely. Yes, Patty surely didn't fully realize what she was doing."_ With that satisfying conclusion, Gaster stood up from his chair and went away, back to his bedroom.

Meanwhile, the Annoying Dog brought Noelle to what seemed to be "his room". Noelle looked around to study the place. The room looked pretty ordinary, tainted in blue tones. There was a desk with a cumputer and additional equipement of high level. It looked pretty much like a gamer's working space, actually. Disks were lying around here and there a bit messily. A knitted shawl was hanging on the chair, but it was unfinished. There was also a soft puffy pet bed. Even if Noelle wasn't a dog, she couldn't help but mentally remark how comfortable it looked. After a moment, she finally spoke up:  
"I'm... not sure what I expected when I tried to picture the Creator's home…"  
"Too ordinary?" - the Dog guessed.  
"Yeah, I guess." - Noelle replied with a nod - "Wait, is that some clone of you out there? I can see it's a fake dog, but it looks so realistic!"  
"Ah, yeah I once made this copy of myself for fun. I made it out of my own dog residue." - Dog said proudly, but as he saw Noelle scowl a little at his words, he added - "It's... not as gross as it may sound."  
"Anyway... Why did you bring me here?" - Noelle asked.  
"I brought you here because we must talk about what happened yesterday, between you and Chara." - the Dog said seriously.  
"Oh, yeah that um..." - Noelle at once grew embarrassed.  
She really wasn't proud of herself, when the heat and anger of the moment had passed and she was thinking straight again. Well, Noelle _was_ still agnry at Chara for what she did - kidnapping her mother to take her place went beyond all limits - but she knew that she had reacted inappropriately to her own morals. Noelle swore that she would _never_ kill anyone,a promise she made herself after she made the decision to go through her teenage pregnancy and give birth to the twins, instead of having an abortion. Thus, of course she was ashamed of herself.  
"I... I know I almost crossed the limit. And there's no justification to my behaviour..." - Noelle started - "But I swear that next time, I'll have a better control of myself and that I-"  
"Yes, you almost made an irredeemable mistake." - the Dog agreed, then he smiled - "But you didn't. And I'm proud of you."  
"W-what..? How can you say that? I almost killed a person!" - Noelle protested with surprise.  
"That's the point. You _**almost**_ killed a person. You were very close to do so, but you didn't bring yourself to actually do it. This is a proof of your strength, Noelle."  
"My strength? How does it make me strong?"  
"Yes, the strength to resist to darkness. You were very tempted, but you didn't surrender to that dark temptation." - the Dog explained - "Even in the worst situation, when it costed you everything, you were able to make the right choice."  
Noelle didn't reply immediately, processing the Dog's words. She didn't really think of herself as being strong from this persective. Since Chara's arrival, she was telling herself that she could never beat her because Chara's LV was much higher than hers. True, Chara was stronger than her in that aspect, having the power gained from the kill, but now Noelle could see that she was in a way weak. Because ruining lives was the only thing Chara was truly capable of, the only solution she'd always come up with. Power was the only thing that would make Chara truly feel like being someone. Noelle, however, would rather seek for an alternative. Helping others would bring her closer to her self-accomplishement. Was it what made her "the Savior"? Noelle wasn't sure. But what she certainly knew was that she wouldn't reduce herself to Chara's level. She'd try to be the best person she could to the end, no matter how difficult the path was. After all, how can one expect to give the best to others without knowing the sacrifice? Noelle smiled and said:  
"You know, it were your words that made me stop. I remembered your two rules, and you were right - those are indeed two very distinct rules. The second rule is actually the one that brought me back to my senses. As ridiculous as it sounds when you first hear it, I realize now that it's not the easiest to follow."  
"I'm glad you understood the wisdom." - the Dog said approvingly - "And this is why I think you're now ready to receive my present."  
"A present... Oh, but I don't need anything." - Noelle said with modesty, while still taken aback.  
"You do. It's not some pointless gift like those you get on holidays. But it's something very useful, that's meant only for the worthy."  
The dog then went into his small closet and went out of it holding a sword in his mouth. Noelle blinked a few times in surprise, before kneeling down to have a better look on the object. It was long, (presumingly) sharp and had a shiny blade. She noted that the metal had a slightly pink shade, which was an interesting detail. She was about to reach the sword with her hand, but then she hesitated:  
"Are you sure you want to give me a sword? I mean... you just said that my strength is mercy."  
"If you want to have a fair fight with Chara, having a human weapon would be a good idea." - the Dog replied - "Besides, it's not an ordinary sword, it's actually magic. You can turn it into a shield and back into a sword as you wish. I'm giving it to you because I think you're worthy of this magical blade. When the time comes, I trust you to make the right choice."  
"Alright, I'll take it if you think I should..." - Noelle said as she took the sword in her hand - "But I promise that I'll give it back to you, when everything's over."  
"It's up to you, really." - the Dog smiled back at her.  
Noelle then stepped away and made a few swift, almost perfect, movements with her new sword. The Annoying Dog said, wagging his tail:  
"Heh, you're a natural! No wonder you were born a Savior."  
But then, Noelle accidently dropped it on the floor. With a sigh, Noelle looked at the white dog, and said with an awkward expression:  
"Sorry... It's a bit heavy."  
"You'll get used to it. You should perhaps ask Undyne to teach you how to handle it." - the Dog replied with a chuckle, but then his expression turned serious - "Hm, I have a feeling we should go join your family now."  
"You're right. Let's go, Dog." - Noelle replied.  
In a matter of seconds, the Dog brought Noelle in the throne room, but he was nowhere to be seen. _"I guess it's up to me now."_ \- Noelle thought. The royal couple and Papyrus were standing there.  
"My child!" - Toriel exclaimed, seeing her arrive - "You came right on time."  
"Asriel and Frisk are guarding the exit, to see when Chara arrives." - Asgore said - "When they see her, they'll warn us."  
"SO, WHAT DID THAT CANINE WANT YOU FOR?" - Papyrus asked on his turn.  
"Oh, he just wanted to talk about some things with me…" - Noelle replied, then showed her new weapon to her relatives - "And he also gave me _this_, to help me in battles."  
"A sword?" - Toriel said.  
"I can also magically turn it into a shield. Like this." - Noelle said as she demonstrated.  
"AMAZING! IT'S DEFINITELY A GOOD GIFT!" - Papyrus approved, then asked with a frown - "BUT WHERE IS THE DOG ANYWAY?"  
"Well, honestly I'm not sure. I thought he'd be here too." - Noelle replied.  
Before the matter could be discussed further, Asriel and Frisk entered the room with serious and worried expressions.  
"Chara's coming." - Asriel said.  
"Alright, Asgore and I shall stay here and defend the artefact, while you others move to the corridor." - Toriel instructed.  
"Mom, but what if..?" - Frisk started.  
"It's going to be alright, my dear." - her mother reassured her - "If anything goes wrong, Noelle will cover us."  
"And I won't fail this time." - Noelle added, confident.  
"Now, go." - Asgore instructed to the others.  
Noelle, Frisk, Papyrus and Asriel moved out of the throne room, but they stood near the door, from where they could see how the fight was going. Asgore and Toriel positioned themselves in the center of the room, in front of the thrones. It didn't take long before Chara showed up. As soon as she saw her former adoptive parents, she made a face. One could tell it wasn't a pleasant surprise.  
"Ugh, you again..." - she groaned.  
"Chara, we know why you're here." - Asgore stated with a low and serious tone - "And we know exactly what you're planning to do."  
"I'm afraid we can't allow you do this." - Toriel said on her turn, then she spoke with a softer tone - "Chara... Please, it doesn't have to be this way. You can still stop and leave all your hatred behind."  
"And then what? You'll welcome me back to your family with open arms?" - Chara sneered - "You and I know this just can't happen. Now, if you could just get out of my way? You'll ease my job and make things less painful."  
"I'm sorry, Chara... I wish we didn't come to this." - Asgore said with a sad sigh.  
Then, he made his red trident appear, while Toriel materialized fireballs in her palms. Chara groaned in annoyance and anger, her red eyes emitting a dangerous glow. On her turn, she pulled out her knife and said with a low, and almost creepy, voice:  
"You want to fight? Fine, this is exactly what you'll get."  
And so, a battle started between a blood lusting woman and the two monsters who've once been her parents. This time, Asgore and Toriel weren't as hesitant to use their magic against Chara (even though a certain reluctance was still there), who wasn't a bad dodger. It was a bit more tricky when it came to the trident though, as Chara couldn't always predict well if Asgore would manisfest cyan or orange magic. The flames flying around didn't permit her to have a good look on the king's eyes to do so. Several times, Chara was close to hit the royals with her knife, but Asgore would block her attack with his trident. During the whole fight, heartbreak could be read in the goat-parents eyes. After all, they were fighting against the person they've once called their child.  
"Chara... If I've been that much of a bad father, I'm sorry." - Asgore said, obviously wanting to try reason her one last time - "It's true that I've been carried away by the idea of seeing the Surface again. But there were many good moments too… Try to remember them, Chara. I refuse to believe they didn't mean anything to you."  
"Shut up!" - Chara yelled, then at once regained her calm - "If you think that you can make me backup _now_, you're very _very_ wrong."  
The last part was said with a very deep voice. Chara barely sounded like herself. And her eyes… not only her irises were redder as ever, but the white of her eyes was now _black_, and a black liquid was leaking from them down her cheeks. It meant nothing good. Chara then jumped high and raised her knife high above her head, with a creepy smile on her face. In no time, the knife would meet Asgore's chest. The king and queen's eyes widened and prepared themselves for the stab to come… but it never did. A loud "kling" was heard, as if two pieces of metal collided. Chara's eyes were open wide in surprise. It was Noelle, who interfered and protected Asgore with her new sword.  
"If you want a real fight, then fight me." - Noelle said with a strong and determined tone - "But leave my family alone."  
"Fight you? So you can use your over-cheated powers on me? You were close to kill me last time. Want to achieve what you started now?"  
"No. I don't want to kill you. There will be no magic this time. Just a battle between two humans."  
"Oh, so you admit that you're nothing but a despictable human, who doesn't belong among monsters?" - Chara asked with a nasty grin.  
"I'm not admitting anything. Today I'm a human, but other times I might identify myself as a monster. You can tell I'm _speciesfluid_." - Noelle said with an easy shrug.  
If the situation wasn't grave, Noelle would've chuckled at her own little joke. She positioned herself, pointing her sword in front of her. She then looked back at the unsure Asgore and Toriel, and said:  
"Step away. It's just me and her now."  
"But Noelle, what if..." - Asgore started.  
"Don't worry about me." - Noelle reassured him with a smile - "I know a fateful fight's bound to happen between Chara and I. But it's not happening today."  
"Noelle, please let us help you." - Frsik said as she came out through the door.  
"YOU CAN NEVER BE SURE WHAT THE FUTURE HAS IN STORE." - Papyrus added, following his wife - "AND YOUR MOTHER'S RIGHT, YOU CAN'T FIGHT ALONE."  
"If we want to save the world, we all should participate." - Asriel said on his turn.  
"...What..? You've been here all along?" - Chara asked in shock, then turned to Frisk - "And aren't you supposed to be in the void?"  
"I found my way out of it." - Frisk replied, as though it was the most obvious thing.  
"It's impossible!" - Chara yelled in frustration - "Why? Just why does it always have to be this way?!"  
Chara seemed to have lost it, as she was now venting with an almost erratic tone.  
"Why do you, Frisk, always have to get everything, but not me?! It's unfair!"  
"Chara, I understand that you're mad at the alternate me for leaning you to the kill..! But you can't blow your anger at me, because that other Frisk was _not_ me!" - Frisk replied to the angry Chara.  
"So, you really think that's what it's all about?" - Chara said with a slightly clamer tone.  
"Is it not..?" - Frisk asked, getting confused.  
"I don't care about what path you chose. Pacifism or genocide... it's all irrelevant. The thing is Frisk, is that you now have everything that was supposed to be mine! Our parents' care and love, Asriel's admiration, the status of monsterkind's liberator… everything! You even got to marry this… overly innocent yet undeniably charismatic skeleton, and gave birth to a human with magic powers! And what did I get? Just a grave under the golden flowers…"  
Chara's face wasn't looking that psychotic anymore. A little hint of something else, of hurt feelings, could be noticed. Everyone was looking at her with surprise. So, was it what it's always been about?  
"Chara... You're... jealous of Frisk..?" - Asriel dared to ask.  
"You said we'd be best friends... but you lied to me." - Chara said, gazing strainght into her brother's eyes - "You shamelessly replaced me, claiming loudly that Frisk was a much better person than me. You're a liar and a traitor, Asriel. I will _never_ forgive you for this."  
Her look and tone were dark again. Her grasp on the knife tightened.  
"I know I'll never get what I wanted. But since I can't be happy, I won't let you either. Farewell."  
With those words, Chara rushed behind her to the throne. All she needed was to slide swiftly under the royal chair and open the unstable floor tile to quickly strike the Legendary Artefact. It would take no longer than a few seconds. Chara's hands were already below the throne as she felt a sudden painful weight fall on her back. She let out a yelp, and a sword planted itself between her arms and right before her face. Chara slowly turned her head to look at the person who blocked her.  
"You must've missed that I'd fight to protect this world from you." - Noelle said with a serious, yet someway badass tone.  
"Ha... haha... How curious. How you'll do that since you're losing?"  
Then Chara managed to turn her body enough to make Noelle lose her balance, which permitted Chara to move her hand that held the knife. Before Noelle knew it, she lost the hold of the sword, and Chara was already on the top, the knife threatingly close to her neck.  
"NO, DON'T!" - Papyrus screamed, reaching his hand to his helpless daughter.  
"Noelle!" - Frisk, Toriel and Asgore shouted.  
"Chara, stop this madness!" - Asriel yelled at his former sister.  
Chara wasn't listening to anyone. She pressed the knife to the skin, and proceeded to slowly draw a line from Noelle's temple and across her cheek. The cut wasn't deep, but it still hurt. Noelle let out a whine of pain.  
"Don't you understand, Noelle? You have no power over me. You're too weak, face to my demoniac LV." - her torturer was hissing darkly - "I am the one in control."  
But the torture ended very soon, as Chara's SOUL suddenly turned blue and she got lifted up in the air. Papyrus intervened to save his daughter. From above, Chara could see Frisk and Toriel run up to Noelle. Toriel proceeded to heal her granddaughter's cheek. While being healed, Noelle saw the Annoying Dog sitting in a corner of the room, who gave her a wink. It didn't take her long to understand the silent message.  
"It's over now, Chara." - Noelle breathed out - "Stop it, your fight's pointless..."  
"It's not pointless as long as I have determination." - Chara replied - "I will destroy this world whether you want it or not."  
"You don't get it..." - Noelle shook her head, then stood up as Toriel finished healing her - "How can you destroy the world when its SOUL is nowhere around?"  
Chara's eyes widened, saying a barely audible "what?". She was put down on the ground and everyone stepped aside, allowing her to come closer to the throne if she wanted to. Chara didn't waste time to remove the tile. She was greeted by a surprise: there was nothing beneath.  
"Impossible... Impossible! Where's the artefact? Where's the Legendary Artefact?!" - Chara shouted.  
"Aw, it looks like it's hidden somewhere else now... You'll have to search long and wide the whole land if you wanna find it."  
It was the Annoying Dog. He was sitting on the throne, wagging his tail, looking down at Chara with amusement. The woman glared at him and shouted:  
"You'll pay for this!"  
She attempted to stab the Dog, but it did absolutely nothing. No damage, no blood, nothing. Chara frowned, then tried to stab him again, but to her frustration, nothing was happening. It seemed like she simply _couldn't fight the Dog_. Unfased and somewhat amused, the Dog jumped off the throne and ran off the room. Her mind clouded by anger, Chara stood up and ran after the animal, forgetting about everything else. Everyone had incredilous looks on their faces and after a long moment of silence, Noelle said tiredly:  
"The Dog will keep her away for a while now..."  
Her family members nodded in response. Those have been very stressful few minutes of their lives. Now that Chara was busy chasing the Dog out of frustration, this left some time for the family to rest and get ready before her next move.

In the evening, Gaster was sitting on his bed with his journal in his hand. He couldn't bring himself to write anything on the yet blank page. But after a moment, he slowly, a little hesitantly even, wrote down a few words.

Entry n°6

_I am very confused right now. There's nothing more that I can say_.

With a sigh, Gaster put his journal down. He wasn't sure why, but writing down about Patty's peck felt... awkward? Gaster got pulled out of his thoughts when he heard yelling from the neighbour's room. It was Patty's room. Gaster could also hear other voices, that were those of the doctors. Curious, Gaster walked up closer to the door to hear better what was going on.  
"How could you? How could you? The pills..!" - he could hear Patty yell with a broken voice - "You put them in my food! You have no right! How could you?"  
Gaster immediately understood what happened. The dinner was brought in the rooms a few minutes ago. The medical staff seemed to have realized that Patty wasn't taking her pills for a while, and thus tricked her into eating them anyway by mixing them with the food. Patty must've realized due to a weird taste the pills provided. She certainly felt betrayed by the sly move. Gaster then heard the nurse and doctor say that it was only for her own good, but this wasn't helping much. The doctor then ordered to inject some tranquilizer to calm her down. Patty was protesting and it sounded almost as if she was… crying. Gaster heard one last fainter "please" from her, and then there was an unpleasant feeling in his SOUL. Without thinking, he stepped out of his room. He stood in the corridor until the doctors came out of Patty's room. As the doctor saw Gaster stare straight at him with a hard look, he asked:  
"Um... is something wrong, Gaster?"  
"How could you... treat her like that?" - Gaster asked - "You betrayed and hurt her. You destroyed her _beautiful_ inner world."  
"I know how it looks like. But you must know that we're merely doing our job. We're trying to treat her. If she was taking her pills willingly, we wouldn't come to this." - the doctor explained.  
"And did it ever occur to you that Patty's maybe not taking her pills because her wild imagination's the only thing she has left in this place you're keeping her in for God knows how long?" - Gaster asked, sounding aslmost as if he was getting irritated.  
"Like I said, it's mostly up to her. The sooner she cooperates, the sooner she'll be allowed out."  
"But why are you keeping her in here in the first place? She's not even dangerous, damn it! She wouldn't hurt a fly!" - Gaster protested.  
"It's not the others we're protecting by keeping her here. We're protecting her from herself." - the doctor clarified - "Do you know how she ended up here? She was first brought to the emergency after an accident. Patty was riding on her bike and got overthrew by a car at a crossroad. It happened because she "didn't see" the traffic lights. Patty was in her own world then. After she recovered physically, she's been transferred here. We only want to make sure that when Patty goes out, such incidents don't happen again and she doesn't get hurt from her own insanity."  
Gaster understood better now. It also now made sense why Patty was nervous when he had asked her how she ended up in here. Nobody'd like to remember such a terrible accident. He cooled down, but for some odd reason, he didn't really feel better. Gaster's mind was now with Patty. A few minutes later, he dared to enter in her room. When he saw her face, his first thought was that Patty didn't resemble herself. Instead of the usual sunny and smiling face, Gaster saw a sad, heartbroken and tear-stained one. Her golden eyes lost some of it spark. Gaster didn't like to see her that way. Patty was curled in a foetal position, wrapped in her blanket. Her fingers were clutching the fabric tightly. Patty barely reacted to his presence, which was surely due to the injected tranquilizers. Did she even know that Gaster was here?  
"Patty..? Patty, do you hear me?" - Gaster asked gently.  
After a moment, Patty responded by a faint nod. Gaster knelt down to be at her eye-level and after a moment, asked:  
"Do you... still know who I am?"  
"Yes... Wing Dings Gaster... my neighbour..." - Patty replied in a whisper.  
"Yes, good." - Gaster said with a faint smile.  
For some reason, it pleased him that she didn't forget him after taking the pills. He then thought that he should perhaps leave her alone, but then he heard her say:  
"Don't go..."  
With a nod, Gaster sat down on the edge of her bed. And he left the room only after being sure that Patty was deeply asleep.

* * *

**A/N: Only three chapters left...**

**So yeah, now you have the real reason of Chara's will to destroy those she once loved. Basically, she's very jealous of Frisk. Chara sees her as someone who got what was supposed to be hers, notably all the love from the Dreemurrs and becoming the savior of monsterkind. But the most importantly, Frisk got a happy ending, while Chara didn't. And she never does, no matter what timeline she's in. She's doomed to be nothing but a dead child. Frisk, on the other hand, has a very big loving family, admiration by both monster AND humans. Even Gaster respects her, while he's been rather negative towards the first human. **

**And the magic sword that can turn into a shield, it's obviously a reference to "Deltarune". ^^**

**(On a side note. This fic was finished months ago. Now that I look back at it, specifically at this chapter and the previous one, I'm so feaking amazed by how I had indirectly predicted some key events of Star Wars 9! :o)**


	45. Chapter 45

**From now on, it's a straight line to the final resolution! This chapter and the two next ones are the most perilious ones, and I hope it all makes a worthy finale to the story! So… enjoy! :D**

* * *

The day after the Legendary Artefact had been saved in extremis, Noelle was getting ready to go outside. In a few minutes, Undyne would come for her, as she would take her for a fencing training. Undyne was the best person to teach Noelle how to handle a sword, because she's been the captain of the Royal Guard for many years, and thus she knew everything about using weapons. As she waited for he fishlady to arrive, Noelle looked at the kids, who were sitting on the couch. The two had very concerned faces and Noelle quickly guessed that something was bothering them.  
"Kids... Is everything alright..?"  
"You'll have to face Chara _very_ soon, right?" - Sam asked back with a serious tone.  
"Y-yeah, sooner is more likely than later." - Noelle replied, looking down.  
"But are you ready to face her, Noelle?" - the boy asked again - "If she showed up now, would you be able to win?"  
"Sam, if by 'win', you mean kill her, then you know I can't do that." - Noelle answered seriously - "But I am training to rise my chances against Chara. I'll do everything in my power to stop her in another way."  
"And what if there's no 'other way'? What shall you do then? You'll let Chara kill you, is that what you're saying?" - Sam challenged his mother, his tone subtly frantic.  
"If I kill Chara, I'll be no better than her!" - Noelle stated as she put her hands on her hips - "What's happening to you, I thought you both wanted me to be a hero to the very end, no matter what."  
"We still want you to..!" - Piper finally spoke up too - "But... but now being a hero is what will take you away… and it's hard to accept."  
Noelle sighed and looked at her children with sympathy and regret. Of course her children wouldn't accept her possible death, no matter the circumstances. It wouldn't really matter if she'd be heroic or not, all the twins would know would be that they lost their mother. The thought spooked Noelle, actually. Like any person, she hated to think about dying and leaving those she loved behind. Noelle wasn't ready to die yet. But if she wanted to stop Chara, accepting her possible death was unavoidable.  
"Kids... I understand your fear... I'm afraid too, to be honest." - Noelle spoke gently - "It's not easy to accept the possibility of dying. But it's surely even more difficult for you. And I'm so sorry that I must put you through this…"  
"I just don't want you to go away…" - Sam said, suppressing a tear - "Our dad already left us… I don't want you to leave us too."  
Moved, Noelle hugged her upset kids without saying a word. The twins didn't really cry, but they burried their faces into Noelle's shoulders. The three didn't know that Sans had been listening to the entire conversation. He was sitting near the stairs, his eyesockets dark as night. Sans was a smart skeleton, he knew about Sam and Piper's inner suffering. Even if they put smiles on their faces, Sans could see right through it. He couldn't miss the obvious pain in their eyes. Hiding the pain so the others don't fuss about it was something Sans was too familiar with. Sam and Piper didn't talk much about Gaster, but it was crystal clear that they weren't dealing with their father's amnesia as well as they pretended. And their sadness was getting worse after every visit in the hospital. Sans hated that Gaster was hurting people again, and that those people had to be Sam and Piper. _"this must come to an end."_ \- he decided - _"today, we're in for a talk, gaster."_ The skeleton was pulled out of his thoughts when he heard the doorbell ring. He peeked down the stairs and saw Noelle open the door.  
"Noelle! It's so good to see you!" - Undyne exclaimed, before pulling Noelle in a tight and painful hug.  
"Ow..! Y-yeah, I'm glad to see you too, U-Undyne…" - Noelle replied as she winced in pain - "Never losing your shape, as I see..?"  
"Nope! Only getting stronger every day!" - the fishlady declared proudly, finally releasing Noelle - "To make those humans respect the law, you gotta be very intimidating!"  
"I have no doubt you succeed at this…" - Noelle commented.  
"Of course I do! I'm a former knight! So, intimidation is one of my talents! Just like weapon handling. Ready for the training? Just let me warn you that I won't be soft!" - Undyne said with enthousiasm, then noticed the kids and said - "Oh, hi kids. And don't fret, I'll bring your mom back in one piece!"  
The kids didn't reply, not being in a chatting mood, but still nodded in response. Noelle sighed and remarked:  
"Well, I hope you will. Who else shall protect the world otherwise?"  
"I know... Man, it really sucks what's happening to you all." - Undyne replied, then she put her hand over Noelle's shoulder and said apologically - "I wish I could be here to help you guys. But you know, my police duties in the city…"  
"It's okay, Undyne. I understand perfectly." - Noelle replied with a faint smile - "You have your own life, so you must live it fully."  
"Well, at least I'll help by teaching you fencing." - Undyne said with a brighter tone - "Shall we go now?"  
"Yes." - Noelle nodded, then turned to her children - "Sam, Piper, don't go outside unless accompanied."  
"Is it still okay for us go visit Dad?" - Piper asked.  
"Of course. As long as my parents are with you."  
"could that be me for a change?"  
Noelle, Undyne and the twins looked in the direction of the stairs, where Sans was now standing, leaning against the wall.  
"Well, I guess why not..?" - Noelle replied with a shrug - "As long as you don't do anything stupid."  
"hey, i'm a smart and fully grown skeleton."  
"And yet, sometimes you're being a kid." - Noelle replied - "But more seriously, I know that things've always been harsh between you and Gaster. I just hope you'll behave when you arrive at the hospital."  
"sure, no problem." - Sans said easily - "children's interests prevail."  
"Good. Alright, I'm going now. Not sure when I'll return." - Noelle said, opening the front door - "Take care everyone."  
The kids and Sans waved a bit in response, before Noelle and Undyne went out of the house. When the ladies were gone, Sans scribbled a small note for Papyrus and Frisk, telling that he took the twins to the hospital. Papyrus actually took Frisk out for a walk, estimating that she needed the sun and fresh air after being trapped in the void-like timeline for many days. (Frisk was getting over rather well, but she still had a bit of nightmares the previous night.) After Sans put down the note on the coffee table, he said to the kids with a wink:  
"how about we take a shortcut?"  
The twins nodded with smiles, then grabbed their skeleton great-uncle's arms. A fraction of second later, the three were gone, leaving the house empty.

Gaster was staring through the window. The weather was very cloudy, it would surely rain. The former scientist smiled at the thought; it would be nice to hear the sound of the rain after many days of pure sunlight. Rain would help him relax. After a moment, Gaster sat down on his bed, pulled his journal from under the mattress, and started to write another entry.

Entry n°7

_Last night, Patty took her pills thanks to a trick from the medical staff. She didn't take their gesture that well, and so she started to cry and yell at the doctor and nurses. To calm her down, they administrated her some tranquilizers. I checked on her afterwards, and she barely looked like herself. She was undeniably upset. Patty had even requested me to keep her company until she fell asleep. I couldn't say no to her. She's apparently doing better this morning, although quieter than usual. She says her mind's foggy.  
At least, my neighbour could sleep soundly. I can't tell the same about me. I had strange, somewhat disturbing, dreams tonight. It started rather nice, actually. I was resting in a huge field of golden flowers. The sun was shining bright and a nice fresh wind was blowing. It even blew off many golden petals, making those fly in the air. If it was all real, I would've wondered if I didn't accidently end up in Heaven. But my moment of peace didn't last very long, since I heard two familiar voices talk to me. It were without any doubt the twins who claim to be my children. I don't remember what they were saying, but I recall that they were sitting next to me. Both of them were wearing pure white clothes. I'm not sure what surprises me the most in that part: that I was comfortable around them, or the too pure representation my mind gave them? I know too well how demoniac humans are, so them wearing the heavenly white attires is a very unsettling image. Especially if that happens in my dreams. What the heck is my mind doing? Anyway, the oddities in my dream go on from that point. The twins take me by my hands (the thought of it makes me shudder) and we walk together, talking about random things. I'm not sure for how long this kept going, until at some point, everything around darkened. The sky went grey, just like the empty and dry field. The kids were nowhere to be seen either. When I realized that, I... started to call their names and look for them. I remember I feared for the twins' safety. I was calling for them over and over, running across the unfinite field, but the two were nowhere to be seen. I woke up before I could find them. It's probably the most out of character I behaved in a dream ever. I am so very frustrated. I can barely believe it. What's wrong with my own mind?_

Before Gaster got the possibility to write anything else, a nurse spoke to him from the doorframe. She informed him that his children came to pay him a visit. _"Ugh, why now..?"_ \- Gaster mentally whined - _"Why do they always return? Why don't they leave me be?"_ Before he could protest and tell that he wasn't in the mood for visits, the nurse left allowing the twins to rush in the room.  
"Hi! How are you feeling today?" - Piper said with a smile.  
"Horribly." - Gaser replied, his tone flat.  
"Come on, you should rejoice. It's gonna rain today!" - Sam told his father, hoping to lift his spirits - "It'll wash all your problems away."  
_"He knows about how much I love the rain…"_ \- Gaster felt pressure in his metaphorical lungs - _"How? I tell those things __only__ to the people I'm __close__ to…"_ Despite just having another evidence of the truth he made lots of effort to deny, Gaster managed to keep his breathing relatively steady. He looked at the twins and said:  
"I know it will rain. I can see the sky through the window, you know."  
"No need to be sarcastic." - Sam replied - "Anyway, Piper and I thought your amnesia's lasting for a little too long now."  
"Yes, so? It's not like I can do anything about it."  
"No, but maybe we can." - Sam said as he proceeded to unzip his backpack.  
"Okay, what are you up to?" - Gaster asked, lightly rubbing his skull.  
"We thought that since you can't remember by yourself, maybe we can help you." - Piper replied enthousiastically - "And so, we brought a few photos of us three!"  
"W-what?"  
"That way, if you see those, it could help you remember about our life together!" - Sam added with a grin.  
Gaster wasn't really sure how to react. His face paled and he felt his SOUL tighten up, feeling uncomfortable. Gaster and the twins were unaware that Sans was standing outside right next to the door, not missing a bit of the conversation. He wanted to know how things would go. But Sans could already sense negativity radiating from Gaster.  
"Here, this is the photo taken in the other world during the De-Code." - Sam said, pulling out a framed picture from the backpack - "See? It's the three of us, the man is your de-coded self."  
Gaster took the picture in his hands for just a few seconds. The kids seemed to be a little younger, wearing warm gyftmas-themed sweaters, smiling happily. And the man, who undeniably had facial traits that reminded Gaster of his own, had his arms wrapped around the kids shoulders. He had a small, yet present, smile on his face. Gaster's hands trembled and put the picture aside.  
"This... this man's not me." - he said blankly, yet quieter than intended.  
"Come on, you can't deny the obvious." - Piper replied - "The man's you! He has the scars where the cracks on your face are."  
"Yes, he has the same thin face, same glasses, same fashion style…" - Sam added.  
"This man is not me." - Gaster repeated, but this time his voice trembled unwittingly - "He's a human. And I am not."  
"Oh, don't be silly, you know that in the other world everyone had to be human. So you know you were a human too." - Piper said easily - "But we also brought photos of us where you're a skeleton."  
Sam pulled out a pile of pictures taken after the De-Code, when Gaster and the twins were at their happiest. Gaster was feeling even less at ease now. He wanted to protest, to tell the kids put the pictures back in the backpack and out of his sight. But his hand took the pile against his own will. He browsed the photos with shaking hands. There he was, on all those pictures, with the twins holding his hands or in his arms, looking _happy_. Gaster felt his breathing quicken and hurriedly put the pile of photos back in Sam's hands.  
"Be careful..! You might damage them!" - Sam said with a frown.  
"Put that away. That's… that's not me…" - Gaster said, starting to hyperventilate despite trying not to.  
"What..? You really can't remember anything?" - Piper asked, sounding disappointed.  
"That's a bummer." - Sam said with a sigh - "What else must we do to make you remember?"  
"Maybe he'd remember if he saw our house?" - Piper suggested - "I guess it feels more real than photos."  
"Yeah, you're right! I wonder if the doctors would allow him a day out so he can see it?"  
"Stop it! Don't you decide for me!" - Gaster ordered as he stood up from his bed - "I am _not_ going anywhere."  
"Aw, but don't you want to finally get out of here?" - Piper asked, still a bit startled by Gaster's sudden exclamation.  
"I do. But if I'd go anywhere, it would be a place where I'd be nowhere near you." - Gaster answered, his look hard.  
The way he said those words was sharp, as if in the intention to hurt. And it indeed felt like a dagger piercing its way through the heart. The twins looked at their father with wide eyes. Gaster basically just said that he wanted them out of his life. It was the first time that he said something so hurtful to them.  
"You... you can't mean it..." - Piper shook her head.  
"I can and I do." - Gaster replied as firmly.  
"So, after all this time you finally said it out loud, huh..?" - Sam said with a sad tone, looking down - "You never truly cared about us."  
"now, i think that's enough gaster." - Sans spoke up with a deep voice as he finally stepped in the room - "i always knew you were a jerk, but i thought that you at least were a true father to those two."  
"I am _not_ their father." - Gaster replied with irritation, clenching his fists.  
Those were the words that hit the children's hearts the hardest. Their feelings hurt, the twins rushed out of the room and long the corridor. Sans looked at them with a sorry gaze, before he looked back at Gaster, his eyesockets turning dark.  
"so it's true what they say - some people just can't and won't ever change." - Sans said - "just like when they say that children are given to the wrong persons."  
"I don't want to hear any more word from you, Sans." - Gaster's eyes briefly glowed red - "Just because you're a better person than I am, you think it gives you the right to judge everyone around you? You have no idea how it's like to be with my current condition. You don't know how it's like to not remember twenty-two years of your life! I woke up in the hospital to find out that my world changed. Since that moment, I'm constantly being told that I have human children I don't even remember having raised! Do you even know how hard it is?"  
"'hard', huh? so you think it's hard for _you_? did you ever consider how hard it is for _them_, what they have to go through?" - Sans asked, his left eye starting to glow - "the man who's been their father since their baby days, all of sudden forgets about them and despises them just because they happen to be humans. did you know how much they've cried that day? how difficult it's been for us all to comfort them?! you don't get to see the disappointement in their eyes after each damn visit they pay you! since you got amnesic, you did nothing but break their hearts a little more every day. but why am i surprised? hurting people's always been your biggest talent. and yet the twins still love you, unconditionally."  
"They love a man who doesn't exist." - Gaster said surprisingly quietly, but then he spoke louder - "The father they describe sounds like a really good guy, but he's just _not me_! I am not that man, I am different!"  
"they're not delusional gaster, they know exactly who you are and what you've done. but to them, it doesn't matter. you're their father, no matter what." - Sans replied - "so you better accept that, before they get even more hurt."  
"They'll learn to live without me. Don't those two have a mother though? From what I heard, she takes good care of them."  
"their mother might get_ killed_ at any moment! because a megalomaniac's after our family! and the kids know that too. they might end up parentless! they need you now more than ever!" - Sans exclaimed.  
Those words created a silence in the room for a moment. What Sans said about the twins' mother possibly dying didn't leave Gaster indifferent. For a brief moment, he felt almost as if he had empathy for the two children. But he quickly chased the thought away from his mind. Clenching his trembling fists, Gaster spoke up:  
"What's happening to them is regretful, but I just _can't_ be the father they see in me."  
Another silence followed. But it didn't last. Sans sighed and turned to the door. But before before he exited, he said:  
"you know, i think i know what's actually going on. you simply can't accept the idea that you could've been a better person. because if deep down there's good in your soul, it makes your past actions even more horrible."  
It was with those words that Sans left Gaster in his room alone. The former scientist's body started to tremble and his bones rattle. His breathing was unsteady again. Then, with a short yell of anger and frustration, Gaster grabbed the plush Ralsei and threw it against the wall. Still trembling, Gaster sat down on his bed and put his head between his hands. He then let out a groan, as a throbbing pain pierced his hands. It used to happen years ago, but it was usually after experimenting on Sans and Papyrus. So why were they hurting now?

Outside of the hospital, Sam and Piper were sitting on a bench. They were regularily sniffling and wiping their tears with their hands. Sans was standing in front of them, looking at them regretfully.  
"kids, i'm sorry things went like that." - he said - "but i guess something like this had to be expected at some point. you know how your father is… or was. it's just a shame you had to see the worst of him."  
"Sans... please leave us alone for now." - Sam requested quietly.  
"what? uh kids, you know i can't do that." - Sans replied uncomfrotably - "it's not safe to walk alone with what's going on. noelle shall kill me if she finds out i left you wander by yourself."  
"We just need to be alone, okay?!" - Sam snapped.  
Sans' eyes rounded, surprised by the boy's sudden aggressiveness. But he still could understand the boy's agitated state of mind. Thus, despite his better judgement, Sans complied to the request to leave the kids alone. Muttering a recommandation to return home as soon as possible, the skeleton teleported himself away. The kids sat on the bench in silence for a few minutes. Drops of water started to fall from the sky, and a distant thunder could be heard. Sam and Piper didn't care about that. It was a light rain anyway. But as the rythm of the rain intensified, the twins guessed that they perhaps should go back home. They were about to stand up, but then they heard a dark voice say from behind:  
"Well, well, if those aren't the Savior's kids, Sam and Piper?"  
With a gasp, the twins turned around and saw that Chara was there, standing in between the trees, with the usual evil grin on her face. The kids quickly stood up from the bench and made two steps backwards, almost tripping.  
"It was about time for us to be properly introduced."  
"What do you want from us?" - Sam asked with obvious fear.  
"I'm just curious to see how much of survivors you are in a fight." - Chara said, showing up her knife - "How about we test it and see?"  
"No! Stay away!" - Piper yelled alarmed - "We don't want to fight!"  
"We didn't do anything to you!" - Sam said on his turn - "If you wanna let go your anger against humanity, do it elsewhere!"  
"As much as striving on you for being humans sounds fun, I want you dead for another reason." - Chara said, making her knife spin gracefully in her hand.  
"Well, whatever your reasons are, we'll fight back." - Sam said with a determined look.  
"I like that much better!" - Chara's grin widened and her eyes reddened even more.  
"Sam... How can we fight back..?" - Piper asked her brother - "She has a knife."  
"We have one too." - Sam said as he quickly pulled out a smaller knife from his backpack - "Stay close to me Piper, I'll cover you."  
Piper's eyes got filled with fear. The kids had decided to secretely carry a knife just in case. Well, it turned out that foresight had been useful. But the kids were obviously afraid, because they knew that they weren't as good at those things as Chara was. But they especially didn't have the will to kill, which disadvantaged them even more. Suddenly, without any warning, Chara jumped straight at Sam, who almost dropped his knife, while pushing his sister further away from the danger. As Sam was busy dodging Chara's knife, Piper stood on her shaky legs after her fall and screamed with all the voice she had:  
"Heeeeeeelp!"  
She hoped that anyone who was around would respond. It would save her and her brother's life. There had to be some people outside despite the rain, right? Someone _had_ to hear her cry for help. Before she could yell again, she felt Chara seize her and muffle her with her hand, the knife threatingly close to her face.  
"Oh no, you're not calling for help." - Chara hissed - "Nobody will come anyway."  
Before she could hurt Piper in any way, she felt a sharp pain pierce her back. This made her gasp and release Piper unvoluntary. She and Piper looked at Sam, who was pointing a tainted by blood knife at Chara.  
"Sam... Oh God..." - Piper breathed out, her eyes wide.  
"You... So you're willing to play rough after all..." - Chara growled, before grinning again - "This shall make it even more fun."  
Before the fear of blood would totally paralyze her, Piper quickly ran to her brother and stood behind his back. Sam, despite shaking, was standing in front of Piper ready to fight and protect. They had nobody else to rely on at that moment but on themselves.

In the hospital, when it had only started to rain, Patty was sitting in the garden, supervised by a nurse. Patty really needed some fresh air after what happened the previous day. She also hoped it would help to somewhat clear her mind. Breathing the cool air and feeling the wind on her face did feel nice. She was enjoying the soothing sensations as she suddenly heard the nurse say:  
"It's starting to rain. We better head inside before you catch a cold."  
Patty barely noticeably nodded in response. As she slowly stood up, something in the air made her left ear move. Patty's eyes rounded a little as she could hear a pretty distant but clear call for help.  
_Heeeeeeelp!  
_Was it real or did she imagine it? The latter was unlikely, considering the dose of medications she was given. This meant somebody actually just called for help. But what surprised Patty was that the voice sounded familiar. _"Where did I hear it before..?"_ \- she asked herself - _"Ugh, I can't recall…"_ But after a few moments, despite the difficulty to think, it hit her. _"I know that voice!"_ \- Patty's mind excliamed - _"It's Gaster's daughter!"_ Without wasting any more time, Patty rushed inside the building under the nurse's surprised gaze and up the stairs to the second floor. She had to inform Gaster now! It was with panting that Patty finally made it to Gaster's room. The skeleton was sitting near the window, his skull pressed to the cold glass, in an attempt to relax (and mostly calm down) by the sound of the rain. As soon as he heard footsteps rush in his room, he turned his head with a slightly annoyed look. But when he saw Patty with an alarmed expression, Gaster's annoyance quickly turned into concern.  
"Patty? What's wrong..? Did something happen?"  
"I... I'm not sure, but..." - Patty paused to take a deeper breath - "Gaster, I believe your children are in danger."  
A pause. Gaster's SOUL tightened up.  
"What..? What do you mean..?" - he asked.  
"I think... no, I'm _sure_ I heard your daughter's voice from afar. A cry for help." - Patty replied.  
"But why didn't anynobody else hear her..?" - Gaster asked, trying to process what Patty just said.  
"I'm a cat monster. My hearing's a little sharper…"  
"Patty, are you sure of what you're saying?"  
Gaster's tone grew alarmed, and his eyesockets glowing yellow, shortly altering to purple.  
"Yes, I am." - Patty answered with a nod - "I believe the voice was coming from a somewhere beyond the garden, some place out of sight behind the pines…"  
"I... I must go...!" - Gaster said, rushing out of his room.  
"Gaster, wait..!" - Patty yelled after him - "Don't get caught by the staff!"  
"I won't, don't worry." - the skeleton said with a surprisingly soft tone.  
Then, after Patty gave him a light nod of encouragement, Gaster rushed down the stairs. He had to find the right lapse of time to rush out of the building. But it wasn't his main concern at the moment. Something from deep within his SOUL was telling him to go find the kids. _"What's happening to me?"_ \- Gaster asked himself - _"What's that strange urge I feel inside..?"_ He didn't have much time to question it further as the way out of the hospital building was momentarily free. Gaster rushed out and across the garden, not caring a bit about the intense rain pouring on him. He almost slipped due to the sliding ground, but he barely paid attention to this. As he ran in a vague direction, he was asking himself: _"What's that call from within my SOUL?"_ Whatever it was, it gave him strength and courage. There was now that new urge to protect those two kids he barely knew. Despite the questions running in his mind, Gaster didn't stop for a second. He was out of the hospital territory now, his eyes looking around searching for the kids. Soon, Gaster came across a familiar object. He knelt down to pick the soaked wet backpack. _"It's theirs…"_ \- Gaster thought - _"They mustn't be too far."_ Gaster quickened his pace, hoping that it wasn't yet too late.

The kids not being that much of fighters than they were dodgers, were now trying to hide from Chara between the trees. They were almost desperate, the streets were too empty due to the weather. Their nervousness would often give their not very good hideout away, as Chara was an observant person. She'd notice the slightest movements, hear the jerky breaths. Luckily, Papyrus had trained the twins well, so they were pretty good dodgers. Sam even managed to cut Chara once, to allow Piper run away. But the street was sliding by the ever intensifying rain and it took Piper a few steps to slip on a puddle and fall on the ground with a yelp. Chara then couldn't help but laugh hysterically, while taunting the kids.  
"Don't you see it? Nobody cares! Nobody cares if anything happens to you! That stupid comedian left you behind while knowing I was around! And your father… it looks like he never cared for you in the first place! At least, you'll know my pain before you fall down!"  
"Shut up!" - Sam yelled, moving his knife around in a threating way - "You know nothing about us!"  
"Oh, I've seen enough to judge." - Chara replied, unimpressed by Sam's gesture - "Had Gaster truly cared, he'd have remembered about you by now!"  
"You have no right to talk about his amnesia!" - Sam shouted - "You're the one who broke his skull! It's all your fault!"  
"I did. But I didn't wipe away his memories, it's the deed of his own mind. If he forgot you, that can only mean that deep down he wanted to forget you. Now that he got Asgore and Toriel's forgiveness, he simply no longer needs you! You've been nothing but a booby prize during the De-Code years."  
"That's not true..!" - Piper protested, trying to stand up - "He... he really loved us..."  
"Aw, the truth hurts, doesn't it? Do you feel that unsufferable pain, piercing your little hearts? I'd enjoy that melodious sound of heartbreak forever!" - Chara said with dramatic sadism - "But I sadly must finish you off today."  
"Why..? Just why do you have to hurt us..?" - Piper asked on edge of tears.  
"Why, you ask? Don't you two get it? Just because you two are the Savior's children! I realized who's my real target. Noelle's the embodiment of light and hope. She's what keeps this big family together. If I want to make them all suffer, I just have to snuff out the light! But… it turns out it's not as easy as I'd like. And I haven't killed for a while, I must regain my taste for it. By killing you, I'll become strong again. I'll stand a twice better chance against your mom." - Chara explained as she pointed her knife at Sam, who backed away - "But I'll also enrage her. I've seen what she's capable of when her family's hurt. She almost killed me for keeping Frisk captive. When I kill you, she will cross the line. Do you understand now? Either I manage to kill Noelle off, or she'll kill me, destroying the good in her heart. Either way, I'll reach my goal - snuff out the light of the Savior's SOUL."  
The kids' eyes widened as they understood. Chara was really serious about this and nothing could make her back up. Piper gripped Sam's hand, who squeezed it shakily in return. Chara's eyes turned all creepy and made one quick movement with her knife. The twins shut their eyes close, preparing for the mortal strike. But seconds passed and… nothing happened. The twins dared to open their eyes and saw a... cage of bones surround them, protecting them from Chara. Chara, who was rubbing her hand in pain (her knife dropped on the ground), turned around and her eyes rounded in surprise. It was Gaster. He was there, soaked wet like everyone, wearing nothing but his PJs, and his expression reflecting pure relief that he made it in time. Sam and Piper looked at him with amazement and happiness.  
"You came..!" - Piper breathed out - "You saved us..."  
"I thought you wanted to be nowhere near us..?" - Sam asked, which was of course a poor attempt to cope with the fact that he and his sister just almost died.  
"Are you two alright..?" - Gaster asked the kids, panting heavily.  
The children just silently nodded in response. Chara glared at Gaster, getting really pissed off now.  
"So, you're in for another round, Doctor Gaster?" - she growled.  
"C-Chara?" - Gaster's eye widened as he recognized her - "No... No, it can't be, you're supposed to be-"  
"Dead? Yeah, I know, and we already had this conversation."  
"We... did?"  
"Oh right, you can't remember, since it was before I smashed your skull with that cabinet." - Chara smirked.  
"So it's because of you that I lost my memories..?" - Gaster said, as he got a mild headache.  
"Yes! See the pain I can cause? Then, how about you just turn around and let me finish what I started? Because if you don't, this time I'll turn you to dust."  
"N-no... I can't let you do this..." - Gaster said, despite shaking a little - "I won't let you harm them!"  
"So, you're on the side of humanity now? You and I had so much in common, it's a shame you were too blind to see it. You and could've gotten so well along!" - Chara said with irritation and a hint of rancor.  
"I'm not that much on the side of humanity, but..." - Gaster looked at the twins - "...I'm on Sam and Piper's side. They've shown me that there's more in the humans than what meets the eye. That humans may not all be cruel."  
"Aw, isn't that cute? May I remind you that it were those thoughts that costed you everything at war? It's because of your pacifist attitude that your whole kind died, except yourself. Because you found nothing better to do but hide under a coat. Pathetic, isn't it? _You should've died with the rest of your family._"  
As soon as she said that, Gaster's world turned all blurry and distant. He instinctly braced himself, feeling a sharp pain in his SOUL. His expression was one of sorrow and his body started to shake uncontrolably. Gaster's survivor's guilt was resurfacing and hit him with all its might. He was seeing the image of the dusted battle field again. As Gaster was paralyzed by his trauma, Chara didn't waste time to strike the magic bones protecting the kids. She had so many HP that its loss from hitting the bones was unsignificant. Again, the twins were unprotected from Chara's knife. With a maniacal laugh, the mad woman rased her knife, ready to kill. But Gaster, unlike Chara hoped, snapped out of his self-loathing pretty quickly this time. Without thinking, he used blue magic to paralyze Chara.  
"Sam, Piper, lower yourselves!"  
The twins obeyed at once. Less than a second later, a blaster appeared and fired straight at Chara. It was a huge blast, making Chara scream in pain to the point of almost breaking her voice. When the blaster dissipated, Chara fell on her side, straight in a puddle. She still found the strenght to glare up at Gaster. The skeleton could read her surprise, so he said:  
"You are wrong. Yes, I used to think that I should've died. But I no longer do. Because I found what to live for. I live for those two kids."  
Those words came from Gaster's SOUL, not his mind. He wasn't overthinking what he just said; he just did. Gaster then turned to the kids and knelt down to them, asking:  
"Are you okay..?"  
The twins nodded, while shaking in cold and stress. But then, Gaster moaned in pain, his skull hurting again. But this time, he was also seeing important memories run through his mind at the speed of light.  
_"I'm naming them Sam and Piper."_  
_"What I am sure of is that without Sam and Piper… I wouldn't feel alive."_  
_"I need you to know that I... I love you."_  
_"I'd do anything to protect you and your sister from harm."_  
_"I know this SOUL like nobody does. You're one of the kindest people I ever knew."_  
_"I'm just so very lucky to have you... Have you not been there, I would still be lost on my path to darkness."_  
The pain went away as quickly as it came. Gaster looked up at the kids again, who were looking at him in concern. Gaster's eyes glowed green and a smile grew on his face. He suddenly pulled the kids in a tight hug, while his bones rattled out of his control. After a moment, as he came down from shock, he spoke up:  
"Sam... Piper... My children… I... I'm sorry... I'm sorry I forgot you… And for what I said earlier… Please forgive me…"  
"So you remember..?" - Piper asked.  
"Yes. Everything." - Gaster confirmed, pulling away to look at his children - "It must've been so hard for you... I can't tell how sorry I am."  
"It's alright. You saved us, you showed that you care..." - Sam said with a breaking tone.  
"I'm so happy!" - Piper said, burrying her face into Gaster's wet t-shirt - "We missed you so much…"  
"Shh, it's okay, don't cry. I'm back. And I'm never leaving you again." - Gaster said soothingly - "Now, listen. I know I said many bad things during my amnesia, and I wasn't very nice to you. And I'm so sorry. But I don't want this make you doubt about my true feelings for you. It doesn't matter a single bit that you're humans. If you were monsters, I wouldn't love you more, because I already love you beyond reason."  
"So, even when you were being mean, you actually liked us?" - Sam asked.  
"It just took me this long to realize that I care for you. I guess I was being a... 'tsundere'? I believe it's the word Alphys would use." - Gaster joked to light up the mood a bit.  
This did make the twins chuckle. The three sat there in a comforting embrace for a long moment. Sam then pointed out that Chara ran away. But despite the danger Chara represented, it was Gaster's lesser concern. Sam and Piper have been in the rain for too long and they had many scratches and bruises all over their bodies. The family didn't wait any longer before returning to the hospital. There, the hospital staff went nuts about the fact that Gaster ran away. But when the skeleton explained that he went save his children from danger and that he recovered his memories, the doctors and nurses calmed down and provided the children all the care they needed. The children got to take a hot bath, and their injuries had been treated. Meantime, Gaster bathed in his own bathroom. When he was done, he put a provided bathrobe, went out and saw that Patty was sitting on his bed.  
"The nurse left your clothes here." - she said, pointing at the table where were lying Gaster's outside clothes - "And she said that you'll be allowed return home tonight."  
"Well, my memories returned, so they have no reason to keep me in here."  
A moment of silence passed. Patty then gave Gaster a shy smile and said:  
"I was right... your real face _is_ beautiful."  
It didn't take long for Gaster to understand what she was talking about. The previous day, Patty's been telling him how he was "wearing a mask". It appeared now that he no longer did, and Gaster had an idea why. He was no longer hiding his face, now that he let his feelings for the twins take over him. Because he admitted that he cared for them before remembering, before even saving them. He realized that he cared as soon as Patty told him they were presumly in danger.  
"Thank you, Patty." - Gaster then said - "For telling me about the kids' cry for help."  
"Oh, that was nothing..." - Patty replied with a light blush - "I'm glad I could help you and your family."  
And then, for the first time since he met her, Gaster gave Patty a warm smile. This made her look at him in wonder, her cat eyes shining, until returning that smile. But the smile soon faded and she looked down. Gaster looked at her questioningly, but Patty then stood up, walked up to him and... wrapped her arms around him in a hug.  
"I... I'm happy that you're healed now. I'm happy that you can be with your children again. But I'll miss you. _A lot._" - she said.  
Gaster could hear in her voice that Patty was probably on edge of tears. Someway, it saddened him. He awkwrdly put his hands on her shoulders, then one of them stroke her blonde hair.  
"Hey, don't be so sad... It's merely a goodbye, not a farewell." - Gaster tried to reassure her - "You still have a chance to get out of here."  
"Do you think they'll let me go if I start taking the pills?" - Patty asked, looking up at him.  
"I'm certain of that." - Gaster replied with a nod - "And keep expressing yourself by drawing. It should train your imagination. Keep relying on your imagination like you always did."  
Patty couldn't help but smile at his last words. She really wanted to keep him in her arms forever. She didn't want him to go. Patty knew that when he'd go away, she'd be very lonely. She wanted him to be happy, but why did it hurt so much? Reluctantly, she let go of him. Gaster saw the sadness in her golden eyes and thought that he had cheer her up someway. So, he took the plushie given by the twins days ago and handed it to Patty. The cat monster looked at Gaster curiously.  
"I think you need it more than I do." - the skeleton said - "This fuffy boy will keep you company."  
"What's his name?"  
"Um... Don't tell anyone, but... I named him Ralsei."  
"A lovely name!" - Patty said with a smile, then hugged the toy close to her chest - "Thank you, Gaster… It was a gift to you from your kids and yet you're giving it to me now… It's so very nice from you, and… I promise that I'll take good care of it… I... I shall go now. You need some personal space to dress up, right..? G-Goodbye, Wing Dings Gaster."  
Before Gaster had the chance to reply anything, Patty rushed out of his room, straight to hers. Hugging Ralsei tightly, she let her tears silently slide down her cheeks.

* * *

**A/N: It must be the longest chapter of my entire story! But it one of those I'm the most proud of. Only two chapters left before the end. They're like two halves of one finale. I hope you'll love it.**


	46. Chapter 46

**Another long chapter... and the end is very close. Are you ready for the trip to the destination, whatever it will be?**

* * *

**_Twenty-three years ago… _**

In the middle of the night, Noelle woke up with a gasp, her green eyes open wide. Her breath uneven and her body shaking, the three years old girl started to cry. She cried for a little while, until the door of her bedroom opened and the light got turned on.  
"Noelle? What happened? Did you have a nightmare?"  
It was her mother, who came check on her after hearing her crying from the neighboring bedroom. Frisk walked up to her daughter and sat down on the bed, right next to her. Noelle immediately wrapped her arms around her mother, burrying her face into the soft blue dressing gown. She kept crying, while Frisk gently rubbed her back to soothe her. After a moment, Noelle managed to speak through her sobs.  
"Mommy… It was bad dream… I was lost in place I don't know… and many people around I don't know… a-and you not here… You and Dad not here… I was _alone_…"  
"It's okay, Noelle. It's okay, it was just a dream…" - Frisk said to her daughter softly, while stroking her brown hair - "I'm here, with you."  
"I'm afraid… What if you leave?" - Noelle asked with tears.  
"I'll _never_ think of leaving you." - Frisk said, sounding determined - "Dad and I love you very much, Noelle. No matter what happens, you're not alone."  
Noelle tightened her embrace around her mother, as if in fearing that she might vanish at any moment. Frisk returned the embrace, understanding her child's insecurity. She then started to hum a tune, to help Noelle relax. As the tight grip on her dressing gown loosened a little bit, Frisk sang a calm and slow song.

_When the light is running low  
And the shadows keep to grow  
And the places that you know seem like fantasy  
There's a light inside your soul  
That's still shining in the cold  
With the truth, the promise in our hearts  
Don't forget  
I'm with you in the dark._

Noelle seemed to have calmed down, so Frisk gently laid her back on the bed, covering her with the blanket. As Noelle was looking at her mother with sleepy eyes, Frisk promised with a gentle tone:  
"I promise that I'll always be with you. Even if we're far apart, my heart will be with you. You're very loved Noelle, and you're never alone. Please, never forget this."

_**Present day**_

"Chara wants to… 'snuff out my light'? Is that what she said?" - Noelle asked with a shocked, yet pensive expression.  
"Yes, those are her exact words." - Sam confirmed - "She wants you dead, or corrupted, as her revenge on our family."  
After Chara attempted to kill the twins and Gaster recovered his memory, the others had been informed. Sans, Papyrus and Frisk were the first to know, and Sans got lectured for a while by the couple for leaving Sam and Piper wander by themselves. Noelle found out about it all later, when she returned home after her training with Undyne. She was obviously shocked and angry that Chara tried to kill her children. Chara went way too far this time, and time came for her evil deeds to stop. But how could Noelle stop her without reaching the exact result Chara expected?  
"What should I do..? Is there even a way to convince Chara to give up on vengeance? Or is bloodshed really unavoidable..?" - Noelle asked somewhat anxiously - "No... it can't be so, right..? I don't want to believe it."  
"Then don't." - Gaster said , making everyone look at him - "If there's anything that I learned from you and your parents is that there's always another way. You don't have to kill and if you don't, paying with your life isn't always needed. It must be strange to hear those words come from my mouth…"  
"it is indeed." - Sans confirmed.  
"NO, NOT REALLY." - Papyrus contradicted his brother, shaking his head - "IT'S STRANGE, BUT IN A VERY GOOD WAY!"  
Gaster couldn't suppress a light chuckle at Papyrus' words. Noelle looked at him with a look of someone who needed an advice or some encouragement. So she asked Gaster:  
"So, you think I can find another way?"  
"You helped me find my way of redemption. There's still a way to go, but I wouldn't have made the progress without you. You also forgave and helped Asriel, without sacrificing either your lives." - Gaster answered, then his eyesockets glowed yellow briefly - "So I _know_ you'll find a solution to this puzzle."  
Noelle was affected by Gaster's words and faith in her, so she couldn't help but blush a little.  
"Gaster's right." - Frisk joined in - "You are a strong person, Noelle. And you have all our trust and support to guide you in the dark hours."  
"Yes, we all believe in you." - Piper added - "You are the Savior, you can do anything!"  
"YOU SAID IT, PIPER." - Papyrus agreed with the girl - "I SAID IT BEFORE AND I'LL SAY IT AGAIN: YOU ARE VERY GREAT, NOELLE."  
"so yeah, keep your chin up. doubting's my job." - Sans said, winking.  
"Thank you, guys…" - Noelle lowered her gaze - "Your words mean the world to me."  
"But what? What's bothering you? Well, besides the obvious…" - Frisk asked her gently.  
"It's nothing, I'm fine. I just feel a bit unprepared to face Chara." - Noelle said, before standing up from the couch - "And I'm tired. Fencing lessons with Undyne exhausted me. I shall sleep earlier today."  
Frisk's concern didn't vanish though. She knew better than assume that her daughter was as "fine" as she claimed. Nobody baught her saying actually. But none of them dared to press further on the matter. They all knew that Noelle couldn't deal well with her worries when pressured. But Frisk also knew that after letting her breathe for a little while, Noelle'd always be more open to talk. And so, she would go talk with her later.  
"Have a good night, everyone." - Noelle then turned to Gaster and said with a light smile - "It's nice to see you back among us, Gaster."  
"I'm glad about it too." - Gaster replied, the look in his eyes soft.  
Noelle then affectionately ruffled her kids hair, before going upstairs and then to the bathroom. A few moments later, the family heard a faint noise of water running, which meant that Noelle was about to take a bath and wouldn't come out for a while.  
"POOR GIRL… NOELLE REALLY IS STRESSED BECAUSE OF CHARA AND HER DEEDS." - Papyrus commented sadly - "I WISH I COULD EASE HER BURDEN SOMEHOW."  
Sam and Piper exchanged a serious but sad look and sighed.  
"It's all our fault..." - Sam said.  
"What? How would that be your fault, Sam?" - Gaster asked.  
"Piper and I brought her to Undertown in the first place." - Sam replied - "If we didn't, she wouldn't be the Savior now."  
"If we didn't show up at her door, she would've lived a normal and… _long_ life." - Piper added with sadness - "We've been so selfish."  
"We never regretted searching for her, but now… I think that maybe we should've left her be." - Sam said, self-directed anger written on his face - "Just because our life back then _wasn't enough_ for us. If only we were just satisfied by what we already had…"  
"Sam, Piper, stop that." - Gaster said, making the twins look up at him - "What's happening now isn't your fault in any way. And I can understand that our life didn't satisfy you… I wasn't the best back then."  
"only 'back then'?" - Sans asked sarcastically.  
Frisk and Papyrus gave him a look, the moment not being appropriate for his sarcasm. Gaster simply ignored Sans' words and pursued:  
"But don't berate yourselves. You did what was right. It was thanks to you that everyone was saved. You might've had some personal interest in finding your mother, but you did the right thing."  
"Besides, you made Noelle much happier when you brought her in the town." - Frisk added with a reassuring smile - "Noelle's life sure was calmer, but it wasn't really a happy one."  
"IF ANYTHING, NOELLE IS VERY GRATEFUL TO YOU FOR FINDING HER." - Papyrus said on his turn.  
"You... you think so?" - Piper asked.  
"I AM SURE OF THAT!" - Papyrus answered with confidence - "I KNOW MY DAUGHTER WELL, SO TRUST ME WHEN I SAY SHE'S HAPPY ABOUT HOW HER LIFE TURNED."  
"But now she might die, and she had so many problems after we found her…" - Sam stated, looking still guilty.  
"Hardships are just a part of life. But those are what make all the good moments very special." - Frisk explained gently.  
"It took me a lifetime to understand this, but I agree with Frisk." - Gaster said, making Frisk look at him with a surprised look - "So, please don't think what's happening now is your fault."  
The twins nodded slowly after a moment. They understood that they weren't the ones to blame for every problem Noelle got to solve, but it didn't make them feel better that much. No matter whose fault it was, it barely changed anything about Noelle's fate. Gaster then suggested the twins to go back home, since it was getting late. After Sam and Piper wished goodnight to their grandparents and Sans, they went out of the house along with Gaster. As they were walking back to their house, Gaster was deep in thought. When they finally returned home, and when the kids were ready to go to bed, Gaster took a moment to sit down on Sam's bed and said:  
"Don't blame yourself for what's actually my fault."  
Sam and Piper looked at their father curiously, not catching what he meant at first.  
"I was the one to de-code our world. It's because of me that Noelle got separated from her parents. Not only that, but I also weakened the space-time fabric, which permitted Chara to cross timelines."  
"W-what?" - Sam asked with rounded in surprise eyes.  
"Yes. Before she knocked me out, Chara told me that it was thanks to my work that she could arrive. Otherwise, she wouldn't have moved from her timeline." - Gaster explained - "This is why she tried to kill me, actually. She feared that I would find some way to send her back."  
"That's awful…" - Piper muttered.  
"I know, some of my mistakes did damage beyond repair."  
"No, I meant it's awful what Chara did to you. She's just horrible."  
"And again, you choose to think about my wellbeing rather than my mistakes…" - Gaster said with a sad chuckle - "But the reason I'm telling you this now is that you two are much better people than I am. This is why I don't want you to feel guilty for _my_ sins."  
"Oh, but you are a good person too now." - Sam said genuinely.  
"And it was Chara's choice to come here." - Piper added.  
"Maybe… I just want you to always be as good as you are today." - Gaster said to his children softly.  
The kids nodded, as though wordlessly promising that they would. Gaster then knelt down to plant a kiss on Sam's forehead, then walked up to Piper and did the same. Before going out of their room, he said:  
"Goodnight Sam, Piper."  
When the twins wished him to sleep well in return, Gaster closed the door and walked long the corridor to his own bedroom. After he got himself changed, he laid down on his bed and stared at the ceiling for a long while. The memories of his time at the hospital were tormenting him. Gaster just started to move on from his past mistakes… and now he had new ones weighing on his shoulders. Just why was his life made like this? Was he doomed to live with only more regrets? It would take Gaster some time to forgive himself for how he behaved around Sam and Piper during his amnesia. But the twins already forgave him, which was a treat to his soulache. As Gaster kept staring at the ceiling, he suddenly remembered what Noelle once told him. She told him that out of the bad things done, some good things could come out of it. And so, miraculously the weight on Gaster's SOUL lighten. The amnesia was actually a trial for the love between Gaster and the twins. A trial that they overcame. The thought of it made the skeleton smile. Feeling more relaxed, he finally closed his eyes. Besides, he realized, his time at the hospital wasn't exactly a bad one. _"I wonder if Patty's sleeping well now…"_ \- Gaster wondered, before he dozed off.

Meantime at Noelle's house, the young woman was sitting on her bed, listening to the music emitted from a music box she had received on her birthday. Noelle remembered her own surprise when she heard it for the first time, because the music sounded familiar. Frisk explained her that it was because that was a song she used to sing to soothe Noelle when she was still a little kid. And so, Noelle would listen to the music at dark hours. It was a moment just like that now. Noelle sighed sadly, as she stared at the music box in her hands.  
"I wish I was a kid again." - Noelle commented to herself - "Back then, a song was enough to lift my spirits."  
"Maybe a chamomile will help?" - Frisk said from the doorframe.  
Noelle gasped, startled by her mother's sudden presence, then closed the music box and put it aside with a sigh. Frisk walked up to her daughter and handed her the cup of tea.  
"Drink. You need to relax if you want to fall asleep."  
"Thank you, Mom." - Noelle said, then took a sip with a content sigh - "You know what I need and when."  
"That's right. Just like I know that something's bothering you right now." - Frisk stated - "And I think you should share it."  
"You already know what's bothering me... Chara wants to kill me."  
"Yes, but I have a feeling there's something else."  
"Well, truth to be told... there is. How do you even sense those things?" - Noelle asked her mother, who just shrugged casually - "It's just that… I'm often being told that I'm the Savior. But I still didn't quite figure out what it means. What makes me a Savior exactly?"  
"A savior is by definition someone who saves people." - Frisk said half-jokingly.  
"I know what the word means..! But I just don't get how and why _I_ am the Savior."  
Noelle then drank a few more sips of chamomile, before pursuing to express her thoughts.  
"I saved our entire world from a fake life, and then? I barely was a help to anyone afterwards. I almost lost you to Flowey, it occured to me quite late that you've been switched by Chara, I insulted Gaster while I promised to help him, and my children get in trouble because I'm bad at watching them!"  
"Everyone has bad days, even the greatest heroes." - Frisk said, lying her hand over Noelle's shoulder - "There's no such thing as a perfect Savior, and honestly nobody requires you to be one."  
"Then what's my role exactly? If I became a Savior, it was merely because the Dog sent me away before the De-Code could reach me." - Noelle replied, sounding almost frustrated.  
"It's not just that. If you're called 'Savior', it's because you have a unique, and very powerful, SOUL."  
"It doesn't change anything. My SOUL is something I was just born with. I didn't become a Savior by choice, the white dog labelled me that way." - Noelle shook her head sadly - "I am something that I never _chose_ to be. They say we build our own fate, that everything depends on our choices. Then why was I deprived from mine? Why couldn't I decide to be someone normal?"  
"Noelle, it's not because you were born the way you are that you can't make any choices. You still have the power over your fate." - Frisk said seriously.  
"Do I really?"  
"Do you think your father chose to be born as a test subject and then treated like one? He didn't. And yet, that didn't stop him to keep making choices, no matter how small those could seem. Papyrus made the choice to keep believing in Gaster, despite everything he's done to him. Despite what he had to go through in the lab, he decided to stay faithful to himself and always be good. If your father could make choices despite the circumstances, so can you."  
Noelle thought about it for a moment and she realized that Frisk was right. Only two days ago, Noelle almost killed Chara. She could have, but she chose not to. The same could be said about the instance with Flowey months ago. It were her choices that made the timeline move in one or another direction.  
"...I suppose you have a point."  
"But did you try to ask the Dog about this?" - Frisk asked.  
"I did... And he said that it's something I must figure out by myself." - Noelle answered.  
"Hmm, then it really is something only you can find the answer to. I'm sure it's not impossible to figure out. But this only proves that you still have your power of choice. You were born with a unique SOUL, but it certainly isn't the only thing that makes you the Savior, Noelle."  
"Thank you, Mom." - Noelle breathed out, before hugging Frisk tightly - "You have no idea how much I needed to hear this..."  
"Please, tell us whenever something's bothering you. Keeping it all in does you no good." - Frisk advised as she returned the hug.  
"I know, I'm sorry... It's just that I've been all alone for so long, so I'm still getting used to the fact there are people who'd listen."  
The two women sat there like this for a few more seconds before pulling away. Frisk then took the empty cup before walking back to the door. But before she left, she turned around and said:  
"Sleep well, Noelle. Your mind definitely needs some rest."  
"You're right... Goodnight Mom."  
"And I promise we'll figure something out regarding Chara."  
Noelle nodded, after what Frisk closed the bedroom door. Noelle then smiled at what her mother just said. Because she said "_we_ will figure something out". This reminded her once more that she was no longer alone.

_**Twenty-two years ago… **_

It was a late evening, and the entire orphanage was getting ready for bed. Noelle was already wearing her PJs and sitting on her bed. It's been almost a year now that she was found alone near a gas station and placed in the orphanage. Noelle missed her parents a lot, despite that the memories of them were getting a bit blurred as time passed. But she had faith, she believed with her whole being that her parents would return for her and take her back home. Not a day passed without expecting for them to come. As she was thinking about them again, Noelle closed her eyes and started to hum a tune she still knew by heart. A small smile appeared on her lips; humming the melody made her feel like her mom was just there, singing for her. But that little moment of peace and joy didn't last, because Noelle heard her roommate say:  
"Can you stop that already? You sing almost every night, it's quite annoying. Don't you have enough of this?"  
"But it's Mommy's song." - Noelle replied - "I sing to remember her."  
The nine years old girl let out a tired sigh, running her hand through her curly dark hair. She then looked at the innocent toddler and spoke her mind.  
"You gotta stop that. Stop waiting for your parents at the window all day. Stop singing your mother's song at nights. Forget your parents, they're _not_ coming."  
"But... but I _know_ they'll come…" - Noelle protested quietly.  
"Just accept that you're a lonely orphan, and you won't miss your parents that much." - her roomie said with an annoyed groan, then went under her blanket - "Can you just let me sleep tonight?"  
Noelle sighed sadly, not liking her roommate's remark. It didn't take long for the latter to fall asleep. Noelle then pulled from under her pillow a drawing she made a couple of months ago. The picture represented herself and her parents. She was holding their hands and the three were smiling. Noelle smiled when she looked at that drawing. Because it permitted her to not forget her parents. Noelle drew them at a moment when her memories were clearer than they were becoming. Her mother was wearing a blue shirt with pink stripes and had short brown hair, and her father was wearing red scarf, gloves and boots. It was enough for Noelle to somewhat remember them. Each time she looked at the picture, she had a feeling like her parents were right there with her. As though they never left. She would always feel a pleasant warmth inside her heart. It was with a big smile full of _hope_ that Noelle slid the drawing back under her pillow. She then closed her eyes and fell asleep. And the next day, she would keep believing.

_**Present day**_

Noelle woke up in the middle of the night with a loud gasp. She just had that same vision again, about her and Chara. About their final battle. This sent a shiver down Noelle's spine. After a moment of trying to fall asleep again, Noelle heard a noise. Something was knocking at her window with an irregular rythm. It was as if someone was throwing small stones to get her attention. With a frown, Noelle stood up from her bed and walked up to her window. As she drew the curtains, she almost screamed at what she saw. Chara was standing in the garden, her red eyes locked on her window. When the two women's gazes met, Chara grinned evilly and satisfyingly. Noelle wasn't frozen out of fear for very long. In a moment, she rushed out of her bedroom and down the stairs to the first floor. Noelle went straight to the kitchen, where there was a back door that led to the garden. But when she turned the light on and looked through the window, Chara was nowhere to be seen. Suspicious, Noelle opened the back door to peek outside. Chara wasn't there. However, there was a note stick on the door. Noelle took the paper in her hand and read the message.

_I think that's enough playing cat and mouse. Let's get to serious business. Meet me tomorrow at the sunset beneath Mount Ebott and we shall put an end to our conflict once for all. You can call this a final battle of a sort. I highly advise you to be a good girl and come alone. Do as I say, and I promise no harm will be done to any of your family members once it's over. If you dare to disobey, know that you are not above the consequences. _

Noelle's hands trembled, then she crumpled the note and threw it in the trash can. So this was it? The final hour almost came. Noelle really wanted to tell her parents about it. She wanted to share her fear and express all the feelings she had for them. But… the note was clear on the matter. If she involved her family, they would insist on coming with her. True, Chara wasn't a person whose word could be trusted. But Noelle couldn't take such risks. If anyone came with her, their lives would surely be cut short. Noelle couldn't allow that, she wanted to give them all their best chance. _"I fight to protect them. And so, I'll do just that tomorrow."_ She was determined to save everyone from Chara. Yet, her eyes were glowing purple. Noelle was obviously afraid of the upcoming battle. She didn't want to die. After a moment of thinking, Noelle went back to her room. She sat at her desk, took a sheet of paper and started to write.

The next day, in the late afternoon, Noelle decided it was time to go. She had spent the first part of her day to chat with her parents and Sans, paying a visit to Gaster and the twins, and even giving a phone call to the Dreemurrs. Noelle wanted her whole family remember her being social and in a good mood, in case the final battle had to end badly. She wanted to remember everyone too, and to live a good time with them all before going to face her fate. That way, the good moments wouldn't be tainted by sad feelings. And now, it was time to go. Noelle put a letter for her family on the coffee table, then went to the front door. But before she exited the house, she gave one last glance around her, mentally saying goodbye to her home. Then she left, taking the magic sword with her. Noelle walked long the street and out of the village without giving a second glance back. Because if she did, she would crack and cry. She had to stay strong. Noelle then noted that she still had a bit of time before the Sun would start to set. So, before going to the place from her vision, she took a turn in another direction. In a calm and isolated place outside a wood, there were six anonymous tombstones. Only a heart of a different color was represented on each tombstone. Noelle opened the wire gate and stood in front of the six tombs. After a moment, she spoke up.  
"Hello. I'm sorry I didn't bring any flowers... I'd like to promise that I'll bring some another time, but… I'm not sure if there _will_ be another time. That's right… I'll maybe die today. If you watch our world from… wherever you are, you already know how it'll happen. I might get killed by Chara, the first human to fall in the Underground, a child not that different from you all. Isn't it crazy? ...Well, in fact I cannot be so sure. I don't even know your names…"  
Noelle paused, feeling like her heart was being squeezed. There was also an unpleasant knot in her throat. She blinked several times as she felt tears coming.  
"Is... Is that normal how I feel now..? I feel like… like I'm being pushed to walk the plank… to be drown in the depths of the ocean… and unable to swim up to the surface, since my hands are tied… This is basically how I feel like right now. Did… did you feel the same before you faced Asgore..? How is it like to die?" - tears slid down Noelle's cheeks - "I... I don't want to die..! Why must I die so soon..? There are yet so many things I didn't have the time to do and I'd still like to do…"  
Noelle then sniffed and whiped away her tears. She smiled sadly and pursued.  
"Ha ha... I'm complaining that I'm dying too young, while you were much younger than me when it happened to you... And yet, despite being older than you were isn't that comforting… It still feels like my death is coming too soon. But honestly, I prefer die myself than seeing those I love being killed. This is why I'll fight to the end… no matter what it's like."  
A glimmer of determination sparkled in Noelle's eyes, despite the sadness of her look.  
"Can I just ask you one little favor? Can you please… be there when everything's over? Can you welcome me to wherever I go after I leave this world? I'll certainly need some company, and yours will be the most welcome."  
After another moment standing in front of the tombstones, Noelle turned around and started to walk to the spot where the final battle was meant to happen. When she arrived, Chara was already there.  
"You are late." - she commened.  
"No, I'm not. Maybe you are too impatient and are in advance?" - Noelle suggested.  
"It doesn't matter." - Chara grumbled, taking her favourite knife - "Shall we get started? I'd like to say it'll be fun, but I'd be lying."  
"Don't try to intimidate me." - Noelle said, as she pulled out her sword - "I'm accepting my fate, whatever it is."  
Before they started to battle though, she summoned a row of bones to prevent anyone who'd want to interfere from reaching her. Noelle knew it was only a matter of time before her family found the letter… if they aready haven't. The two women then looked each other in the eyes, and took a ready to fight posture. The final battle could begin.

Meantime at home, as Papyrus was dusting the living room, he saw a paper lying on the coffee table. Papyrus picked it up and he gasped in horror as he realized what it was. It was his daughter's farewell letter.  
"OH NO... NO, THIS CAN'T BE..! NOELLE, SILLY, WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS..?" - he said as his eyes glowed purple.  
"hey, what's with that face, bro?" - Sans asked, as he popped up on the couch out of nowhere.  
"SANS, THIS IS TERRIBLE! IT'S NOELLE, SHE WENT TO FACE CHARA BY HERSELF!" - Papyrus said with alarm.  
"what?!"  
"IN THIS LETTER, NOELLE SAYS HER GOODBYES TO EVERYONE AND SHE APOLOGIZES FOR NOT TELLING US ABOUT IT. SHE SAYS THAT SHE JUST DIDN'T WANT CHARA TO HURT US..! SANS, SOMETHING CAN BE DONE, RIGHT?"  
"no matter what noelle thinks or says, we shall look for her!" - Sans said, his left eye glowing blue brightly.  
At that moment, the front door opened. Frisk and Asriel entered the house, holding big bags of groceries. As soon as they stepped inside, Frisk immediately saw that something was going on.  
"Papyrus..? Sans? What happened?" - she asked.  
"FRISK! NOELLE WENT OUT BATTLE CHARA!" - Papyrus replied, walking up to her.  
"What? _Alone?!_" - Frisk gasped, almost dropping her groceries.  
"What was she thinking?! She could get herself killed!" - Asriel exclaimed.  
"SHE KNOWS THAT AND THIS IS WHY SHE WROTE A FAREWELL LETTER..." - Papyrus said, showing the paper to his wife and Asriel.  
Frisk took the letter and she quickly read it in her mind, whith Asriel looking over her shoulder. Frisk looked up at Papyrus with a pale and terrified expression.  
"LET'S GO FIND OUR DAUGHTER, FRISK." - Papyrus said, taking Frisk's hand in his own - "WHATEVER SHE THINKS TO BE THE BEST, WE AREN'T LETTING HER DOWN."  
Frisk nodded with determination. Asriel quickly moved the bags of groceries in the kitchen, before coming back and saying:  
"I'm coming with you. After all, it's with me that everything started. This is maybe my last chance to fix things."  
"alright, so let's go?" - Sans asked.  
"WAIT, SANS. I MUST INFORM GASTER ABOUT THIS." - Papyrus said, as he already started to type a message in his cellphone.  
"why telling gaster about this?" - Sans raised an eyebrow.  
"SANS, IN HIS SHOES YOU WOULD'VE LIKED TO KNOW."  
Shortly after sending the message, the group went out of the house to look for Noelle. They just hoped they would find her in time.

The battle between Noelle and Chara was pretty intense. This time, it wasn't all bloody like when Noelle unleashed all her anger three days ago. Instead, it looked more like a knight of light was fighting to stop a demon. Noelle used just her sword, no magic. She would use it to either make Chara lose her balance, or she'd turn it into a shield to protect herself from a too dangerous move. As the battle kept going, Chara was getting more and more frustrated. Until at some point, she asked:  
"Why are you barely fighting back?! Fight me! Give everything you have! Why don't you let your anger lead you? Where's your magic? Where's your _determination_?!"  
"My determination's intact, don't worry! I just use it in another way!" - Noelle replied, as she managed to make Chara drop her knife for a few moments - "You expected that my rage would blind me? Well, sorry to disappoint you. It's not happening anything soon… or ever."  
Chara picked her knife from the ground and charged at Noelle, who dodged like a pro.  
"Because I don't fight to kill! I fight to protect those I love!" - Noelle kept going, while shielding herself from the attacks - "Because I just want the world to live in peace. I only want help people find the light in the darkest hours!"  
"What a pretty speech! Come on, you don't actually believe the crap you just said, right?" - Chara said with a grin - "Here you are, facing me. You might die here from my hand at any moment, all _alone_. You live only to save the others, just giving and giving, without ever getting anything in return from them. Where is _your_ light, Savior?"  
Noelle quickly dodged Chara's attack, falling on her knees and almost losing her hold on the sword. Chara's question was meant to make Noelle doubt. But instead, it brought up only good memories. Noelle stood up, her eyes glowing pink. She remembered the day when she reunited with her parents for the first time after many years apart. She could still feel the warm embrace around her.  
_The memory filled her SOUL with... love._  
Tightening her grip on her sword, Noelle took a posture indicating she wasn't giving up anytime soon. She remembered the Gyftmas Eve, when Sam and Piper gifted her a mug with the word "Mommy" and asked her if they could call her "Mom" from that day on. The bond between her and the children she once gave up had reached the ultimate level.  
_The memory filled her SOUL with love. _  
Chara charged at Noelle, who fearlessly moved her sword and made Chara fall on the ground, dropping the knife in process. Noelle recalled the moment when she and Asriel unfused. She had spent days inside his body and during all that time their consciousnesses were interweaved, which permitted Noelle and her uncle Asriel to understand and support each other. Forgiveness led to a new friendship.  
_The memory filled her SOUL with love._  
Chara glared up at Noelle, after seeing that her hand had a deep cut and was bleeding a lot. She charged at her, intending to punch her in the face with her fist. But Noelle dodged quickly, making Chara fall on her stomach. Noelle remembered a faint and distant memory from her tender childhood, when Toriel sewed her the Delta Rune dress. The memory was too distant to remember things in details, but Noelle was pretty sure that Toriel's voice was saying something about her looking like a true princess. It was a moment of pure grandmother's kindness and admiration. And Asgore… he's always looked at her with pride, and gladly spent his time to teach her more things about their kingdom.  
_The memories filled her SOUL with love._  
Noelle made a step towards Chara, who shakily sat on her knees. Noelle remembered how she met Sans in Undertown. As well as all the interactions they had together. Whenever she felt down, he'd make her laugh. It was simple, but not unsignificant.  
_The memories filled her SOUL with love._  
She then remembered about how she helped Gaster to face Asgore when confronted about his crime. And then, how he helped her in return, saving her life when her SOUL had been absorbed by Flowey. Things had never been easy between Noelle and Gaster, considering how roughly things started. But even though Gaster barely expressed what he thought of her, Noelle could see by his actions that he did care for her. More than he dared to admit, actually. And Noelle grew fond of him too.  
_The memory, once again, filled her SOUL with love._  
Among all the memories, Noelle also recalled the tune played by her music box. She vaguely remembered the lyrics that song Frisk used to sing to her years ago. The song was about hope and not being alone in the darkest hours.  
"I am not alone, and I have never been." - Noelle said with a strong and confident tone - "No matter how far away my family is, their love is still there with me. _They_ are the light that guides me through darkness. They give me more than I could ever give them. Yes, I might be a powerful Savior, but it's their love that is my guide on the right path."  
_All the love that filled Noelle's SOUL then evolved into something powerful... Noelle's SOUL got filled with pure MAGIC._  
"That's what makes the difference between you and I, Chara. And I can't help but pity you."  
"Shut up! Don't you dare pity me!"  
Chara kicked Noelle in the stomach, making her fall on her back a few inches away from her spot. Before Noelle got the chance to stand up, Chara had the time to pick her knife from the ground and rush to her. Luckily, Noelle dodged her attack by rolling aside on the ground. She quickly picked her shield and protected herself before Chara's knife could hit her.  
"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" - Chara was yelling, having completely lost all control of herself - "Shut up about love, shut up about hope, just shut your freaking mouth!"  
"Noelle!"  
It was Frisk's voice. Both Chara and Noelle froze. They looked aside, to see behind the barrier of bones the Savior's family being here. Frisk, Papyrus, Sans, Asriel, Gaster, Sam and Piper were there, staring with alarmed looks. Noelle was beneath Chara, her shield placed over her upper body like a turtle's shell. She wasn't in the best posture. Chara, who was on the top, almost dropped her knife in surprise and irritation. For a short moment, she was stoned. Noelle used the opportunity to push her away and stand on her feet. She turned her shield back into a sword, while Chara growled:  
"I thought my condition was pretty clear..."  
"I swear I _didn't_ call for them! Please don't harm them..! They... they probably came because of the farewell letter I wrote for them..." - Noelle then looked at her family through tears - "I'm so sorry about this… But I just couldn't bear the idea of you being hurt…"  
Everyone looked back at her with equally moved expressions. Chara's body started to tremble. Noelle prepared herself, expecting another attack. But what happened next wasn't an attack. Chara let out a loud shout.  
"I hate you! I hate you, Noelle Dreemurr!" - she yelled.  
At that moment, when the two gazes met, Noelle almost gasped at what she saw in Chara's eyes. She understood.

_**Fourteen years ago..**_.

Noelle rushed in the house of her foster family, her clothes and hair soaked wet. As she went up the stairs to go to the bathroom, she could distantly hear the foster father say something about leaving a trail of water behind her, but she didn't care. Noelle locked herself in the bathroom, undressed herself from the wet clothes and opened the tap of the sink. A few minutes ago, she's been beated up by two classmates for not having let them copy her homework. She'd been lying on the ground under the rain for a few minutes in despair. Noelle had a few bruises on her upper body, but also many scratches on her hands and face. (A result from being thrown into a rusty wiring.) She started to wash her hands with soap and winced when the scratches stinged. Then, she started to wash her face to get rid of the dirt and the stains of tears. When she whiped her face with a towel and looked at herself in the mirror, she flinched. For some reason, Noelle didn't recognize herself. But why..? The scratches weren't this bad, it would heal in two days or so. So what changed in her face? After a moment of contemplating herself, Noelle realized that something was different about her eyes. Yes, they still had the same shape and color, but… something was missing. And as soon as Noelle figured out what it was, she started to cry again. She stood there in front of her mirror, crying rivers of tears. That same morning yet, she still had that glimmer of faith in her eyes. But now, it was gone. Because a few minutes ago, Noelle realized that her parents would never come for her, like she kept hoping those past nine years. And when the realization hit her, something just died within. It was like some light in her heart was snuffed out. When Noelle finally came out of the bathroom, she walked up to her bed. She pulled out her old drawing. The paper was in a poor condition and the colors lost of its brightness. Yet, Noelle kept it with her all those years to feel loved by her parents. But now… _Noelle no longer believed in them_. Her eyes filled with tears and her heart with grief, Noelle ripped the drawing in pieces.

_**Present day**_

In Chara's eyes, there was something that Noelle had seen in her own eyes before but that was gone for a few months now. Noelle kind of forgot her former pain, she was so used to have all the wonderful people in her life, that she didn't notice the change in her look. But it was a look that she never truly forgot. But that same look was definitely there in Chara's red eyes. Noelle saw that in front of her was standing a woman who was devoided of _everything_: she had no hope for a better future, no faith in anything good to happen. No (actual) dreams that she could try to accomplish. It was because she was deprived of all those fundemental things which built any person that Chara became a "demon". She was just empty. And for once, Noelle felt empathy for her.  
_"I hate you!"_ \- Chara's words reasoned in Noelle's mind.  
"Chara..." - Noelle breathed out - "And I... I don't hate you."  
Those words made Chara give Noelle a weird look. She was surely wondering if she heard correctly. Noelle looked straight into Chara's eyes to tell her that she really meant it.  
"Chara, I know exactly how you feel... I know how it's like to be deprived of faith. I went through this and it's very painful. But it's never too late to regain faith. But you must allow some light to cross the door of your heart."  
Then, to everyone's surprise, Noelle threw her sword aside. She heard her family members call for her, but she didn't turn her head to them. She kept looking at Chara and pursued:  
"It's not too late to turn your life around... You can still start everything over and leave all the pain and darkness behind. All you have to do is to make the right choice. That choice... is entirely yours. I'm not fighting back. What happens next is up to you, Chara."  
"And what if it is too late for me?" - Chara asked, looking away - "What if I just can't make the right choice anymore?"  
"Let's give it a test..?" - Noelle replied, a single tear sliding down her cheek.  
A moment passed. Then another. Chara didn't move for a while. The Sun almost completely set. Chara tightened her grip on her knife, before rushing straight at Noelle.  
"No!"  
"NOELLE!"  
"Mom!"  
"Chara, stop!"  
"Noelle!"  
Those were the cries Noelle heard before seeing the silver blade move quickly right in front of her eyes.

* * *

**A/N: So, the flashback when Noelle barely recognizes herself in the mirror takes place right after the memory Asriel saw back in arc 2. The moment that I call "Disbelief Noelle". (The phrase saying that Noelle no longer believed in her parents is actually a reference to Disbelief Papyrus.) **  
**And yeah, the "Don't Forget" song from Deltarune exists in this universe/timeline! I just think that the song is beautiful and that it would be something a very young Noelle would need to hear from time to time. This was what, on a subconscious level, helped her to have faith for nine years. Otherwise, she would've been more scarred inside than she is. Oh, and the nightmare she's had was actually a vision of the near future.**  
**The reason why Noelle went talk to the six SOULs before facing Chara is a purely human reaction. I mean, she's certainly about to DIE and she's naturally scared. Of course she needs to speak up her feelings! But since she didn't talk about it with her family, she turned to the fallen humans who certainly know how it's like to die prematurely. **  
**Noelle hid the information about the final battle not because she hadn't learned anything from previous exprience! It was because she deeply cares for everyone and knows how far Chara would go if she disobeyed. And provoking a demon is a VERY bad idea. **


	47. Chapter 47

**And here comes the final chapter of this fanfiction! It must be my favourite one of all. I have nothing much to say, just… enjoy the resolution of this story! :D**

* * *

Noelle barely registered when the silver blade shone in her eyes. One swift move and then… Noelle fell on the ground, and the magic bones that prevented her family to come closer dissipated. Her SOUL hovered over her body, with an unusually bright shine. Before anyone could react to what just happened, the SOUL started to emit sparkles that grew brighter every second. It almost resembled a firework. Everyone, including Chara, was surprised and confused by what was happening. Then, the magic emitted by Noelle's SOUL intensified and a huge flash of light followed. Everyone closed their eyes as everything went white. As Chara was blinded by the bright light, she also felt like that same light was burning right through her whole body. Chara guessed it was surely her end, and she let out one last loud yet croaked scream. Eventually, her scream died and the light faded away. Frisk was the first to react, as she rushed to her daughter. As she knelt down to the lifeless Noelle, she started to call out for her and beg to come back while stroking her cheek with a trembling hand.  
"Noelle..! Oh gods, why..? Noelle, my babe, open your eyes… You can do it, come back..!"  
"NOELLE, PLEASE WAKE UP..!" - Papyrus said as he was already on Noelle's side too - "PLEASE... YOU CAN'T LEAVE US ALL NOW... IF YOU WAKE UP NOW, I PROMISE I WON'T GET MAD AT YOU FOR LEAVING WITHOUT TELLING US..!"  
"kid..? kiddo, come on, come back to us..!" - Sans said on his turn as he slowly approached, his vision blurred by tears.  
Frisk and Papyrus looked up at the SOUL hovering above almost in despair. Their eyes reflected heartbreak and despair. Sans turned his head, unable to watch how the couple was crying over their daughter. He then noticed that Gaster, who was standing not very far from him, had an expression of shock and __grief__ on his face. His eyes were glowing yellow and the good one was open wide. A shaky hand covered his mouth. Sans tilted his head, as he could swear he saw tears glimmer in the former scientist's eyes.  
"No... She can't be… Not her…" - Gaster said, his voice almost a whisper.  
Piper was sobbing uncontrollably by now and then gripped tightly into her father's coat and burried her face into its white fabric. Sam wasn't as loud as his sister, but he was sniffing every two seconds. Asriel, standing behind the crying Frisk, was just looking down and silently whiping away his tears, only for more to come. The family wasn't sure for how long they stood there. Time seemed to be slowed down at a moment like this one. But then, the SOUL glowed a bit brighter for a short moment. Sam noticed, and said:  
"The SOUL..! It's…"  
Everyone looked at the floating heart and saw that it seemed a little more… livid? Then, it slowly lowered until it touched Noelle's chest. With a soft glow, the SOUL fused back with the body. Everyone bent closer as they watched Noelle's cheeks twitch. It took another moment for the Savior to slowly open her green eyes. Her parents were the first faces she saw.  
"Mom... Dad…" - she said weakly.  
She then tried to sit up, which Papyrus helped her with. Noelle looked at everyone around her. Nobody said a word for a moment, as they were all a little stunned due to the loops of emotions they just went through. Noelle's eyes went from her parents to Sans, then to Gaster and the twins, before resting on Asriel. She mentally noted that they had no injuries of any sort.  
"I'm so glad… You're not hurt…" - Noelle said with relief.  
"Noelle, why… why do you make it about us when you almost died on us?!" - Frisk exclaimed as more tears streamed down her cheeks, then pulled Noelle in a tight hug - "What would I do if you..? What would __we all__ do?"  
"Mom… I'm sorry…" - Noelle returned the embrace - "I'm really sorry about that, everyone."  
"NOELLE, WE'RE SO GLAD YOU MADE IT!" - Papyrus said, whiping away his own tears - "WE ALL THOUGHT WE DEFINITELY LOST YOU..! YOU MADE US CRY SO MUCH!"  
"yeah, even gaster cried for you." - Sans added with a look of mischief in his eyes.  
Sans wouldn't miss such a great opportunity to embarass his creator. And it worked. Gaster blushed and his eyesockets glowed pink.  
"No, it's not true..! I didn't…" - he tried to protest in vain.  
Noelle looked at him, slightly amused, and Gaster turned his gaze away from her, feeling too embarassed.  
"Alright, I... __might__ have shed one tear or two." - he admitted reluctantly, still not daring to meet Noelle's eyes.  
"It was actually nice from you…" - Noelle said with a tender smile.  
Gaster could see in Noelle's eyes that she was moved by this. As if she liked to know that he cared. This made some of his tension ease a bit. Sam and Piper knelt down to their mother and hugged her tightly on their turn.  
"Mom, please don't scare us like that again!" - Sam requested.  
"I won't… I don't think I'll ever have a chance anyway, now that Chara's no longer a threat to-… wait." - Noelle paused - "What did Chara become? Is she..?"  
The group immediately turned their heads in the direction where Chara had been standing before the flash of light. After thinking that Noelle died and the relief that she actually made it, they completely forgot about Chara. They saw a green and brown figure lie unmoving on the ground. Asriel dared to make a few steps towards her, to see if she was alive or not. Everyone grew nervous at this. Sam and Piper tightened their hold around Noelle, Frisk put a hand over her shoulder, Papyrus and Gaster stood protectively in front of them, and Sans had his left eye glow blue brightly. Asriel knelt down to Chara and as he got a closer look on her, he let out a gasp. He unvoluntarily fell back on his butt, which made the others worry.  
"What is it, Asriel?" - Frisk asked.  
"What state she's in..?" - Noelle asked on her turn, tightening her grip on the twins' shoulders.  
Asriel turned his head to the group, with a surprised and shocked look on his face, and said:  
"Guys, you won't believe it, but she…"  
A quiet soft moan got heard. It was the kind of sound made when waking up from a deep long sleep. It was Chara. Asriel backed away just a little, as Chara weakly and slowly sat down. Now the others could see her too and they quickly understood what shocked Asriel so much. Chara looked like a __thirteen__ years old girl. She was wearing her favourite green shirt with a yellow stripe. Gaster, who had knew the girl before she died, was especially shocked. His eyes widened and he breathed out:  
"Impossible..."  
Chara rubbed her eyes, then lifted her head just enough to see a baffled Asriel in front of her.  
"Asriel..?" - she asked, then she paused as she realized her brother no longer looked the same - "What… What's going on..? Why do you look so old..? W-Where am I..?"  
As Asriel couldn't bring himself to answer, Chara took a moment to look around. The first thing she noticed was the fact that her surroundings didn't look like the Underground. She understood that she was on the Surface. But why? And how? Then, her eyes widened as she laid those on the group of people behind Asriel. Those people were humans __and__ monsters. Chara was especially surprised to see Gaster there too. This was all very confusing and nonsensical. What happened exactly? Did the plan work? But why did Asriel look older? And why was she alive? The confusion and disorientation made Chara slide backwards, in a defensive manner.  
"I... I'm confused… Why are we on the Surface..? Why are you older than me, Asriel? Who are those people behind you..? A-Answer me..!"  
Asriel was totally speechless at the moment. What could he possibly tell her? How could he even explain the situation? Plus, Chara's revertion to the state prior her death was by itself very confusing.  
"Please say something..!" - Chara's voice grew begging - "Your silence is scaring me..!"  
"Don't claim you don't know what happened!" - Gaster spoke up firmly - "You couldn't have just forgot what you did!"  
"Doctor Gaster, I... I really don't understand..!" - Chara replied with a frantic look.  
"If you think pretending will save you…" - the skeleton started, but then Noelle pulled at his sleeve.  
"Gaster, she's not pretending…" - Noelle said calmly - "She really doesn't remember what happened."  
"What..?" - Gaster gave her a curious look.  
"how do you know?" - Sans asked, interested too.  
"Before Chara hit me with the knife, I had this strong desire to bring her back to the light. Sadly, she confirmed what I feared - she was too far corrupted for that. And yet… I still wanted to save her despite everything. All I was thinking was: 'If only she could just start everything over from a blank page.' It looks like just that happened. She's given another chance by becoming a child again."  
"AMAZING..." - Papyrus breathed out.  
Chara was trembling, as the things she just heard Noelle say didn't make any sense to her. She really didn't understand what was going on, but she had a feeling that there was a long and dark story behind all this. Chara froze as Asriel approached her again and offered her his hand. Asriel looked at her with the usual tenderness and love (and forgiveness..?), and said:  
"Come on, Chara. We're going home."  
"Home..?" - she asked.  
"Yes. Mom and Dad will be happy to see you again." - Asriel said.  
Chara looked down, uncertain. Then, she timidely reached Asriel's hand to take it. The prince helped her to get up and, seeing that she was a little weak to walk, picked her up bridal style. Chara turned her head to Asriel's chest, as though wanting to avoid the gazes of Gaster and all those other people she didn't know. Asriel looked at everyone in a way as if he was asking them to understand his decision. The group caught his silent message, but Sans immediately spoke his mind.  
"are you really just taking her home with you? after everything she's done?" - he asked, clearly not fond of the idea.  
"Sans... The Chara who did all the bad things is gone." - Noelle said quietly, shaking her head - "Who we see here is just a child who needs help and guidance."  
Sans was still very reluctant about all this but, seeing that the others trusted Noelle's judgement, he sighed. Sans would let things be that way, but he'd still keep an eye on the kid for a while, since he didn't trust her (yet). As Asriel, with Chara in his arms, started to walk away in the direction of New Home, the group turned their heads back to Noelle.  
"How..? How did you do this?" - Frisk asked - "I get it was that magic coming from your SOUL, but… where did this power come from?"  
"I'm curious as well." - Gaster added - "I've never seen any SOUL emit a magic this strong in such quantities."  
"I suppose it's a mystery related to my Savior condition?" - Noelle replied with a shrug and a mischievous smile.  
"liar." - Sans narrowed his eyes - "you definitely know the answer."  
"NOELLE, YOU'RE NASTY, LYING IN OUR FACES!" - Papyrus playfully reprimended his daughter - "PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR MAGIC!"  
"Please, tell us! Tell us!" - Piper joined in - "I wanna know!"  
"Alright…" - Noelle chuckled at everyone's curiousity - "The truth is… the magic came from my love for you all. It might sound cliché, but… as I kept fighting Chara, my mind was replaying all the good memories I had about all of you. I was thinking about how much you all mean to me and… it overwhelmed my heart and SOUL with love. And somehow… that feeling of love gave me that power I needed."  
Everyone was looking at her with surprised and moved eyes. Papyrus then couldn't take all the emotions he was feeling, so he almost painfully wrapped his arms around Noelle.  
"AWW, IT'S ONE OF THE SWEETEST LOVE CONFESSIONS I EVER HEARD!" - he yelled, tears coming up to his eyes - "YOU'RE MAKING ME CRY AGAIN!"  
"Dang it. This is why I didn't want to tell you..!" - Noelle said jokingly.  
The others giggled or grinned at her words. Sans thought again about Noelle's words. So, this meant that it was her love for them that saved them all?  
"love is more powerful than LOVE after all..." - he said to himself.  
For once in his life, that conclusion was fully satisfying to him. Gaster seemed to think the same, as he had a small wistful smile on his face. The scientist felt good to see that the beliefs of his younger self turned out to not be worthless. After Papyrus finally released Noelle from his embrace, Frisk asked:  
"In the end, did you find the answer to your questions? Do you know what makes you the Savior?"  
"I think that... there's more than just one thing that makes me what I am. It's partially because I want to save the people around, even those who want to kill me. But there's something else. It's also the knowledge that I have many people I can rely on, which gives me hope. I maybe wouldn't be the Savior if I didn't have you all in my life. When you're around, I can find the light in the darkest hours, and I feel like I do matter." - Noelle explained with a smile - "I'm... not sure if it makes complete sense."  
"Trust me, it makes perfect sense." - Gaster replied, making Noelle's smile grow.  
"I'm not sure to fully understand, but okay." - Sam said, frowning a bit.  
"As long as it makes sense to Mom…" - Piper added with a shrug.  
Noelle chuckled and told the kids she would try to explain this to them another time. The family then decided that they should go back to their houses. Papyrus helped Noelle to stand up and allowed her to lean on him for support. Noticing that she was a bit unsteady, Gaster offered Noelle to do a checkup on her, to see if her health hadn't been altered after what she just went through. But Noelle shook her head and replied that she was mostly just tired. She thanked him for his concern though, and promised that she'd go to him if she didn't feel better. That night, everyone slept peacefully, knowing that the threat was gone.

When Asriel made it to New Home, the first thing he heard was Toriel's voice, scolding him for not answering any of her texting. She stood from her armchair and crossed the living room to her son, who was standing near the doorframe.  
"I sent you at least five messages! You got me worried! What's the point of having a cellphone if you don't even anws-..."  
Toriel stopped mid-sentance as soon as she saw a younger Chara in Asriel's arms. She brought her hands to her mouth and her eyes widened. Chara looked up at the goat monster who she saw as a mother figure, and after a moment she dared to say, with her low voice:  
"H-hello, Toriel..."  
"Chara..? How… How can that be…?" - Toriel breathed out, then looked up at Asriel and asked - "What happened out there..?"  
"Mom, it's Noelle, she... It's difficult to explain, but she somehow managed to magically revert Chara to her age before we… you know." - Asriel answered.  
"Oh goodness... Is Noelle alright?" - Toriel asked, then looked at Chara - "Are __you__ alright, Chara? How do you feel? Does anything hurt?"  
"I... I don't know... I'm so very confused, Toriel…" - Chara shuddered.  
"I suppose there are many things we'll have to explain her..." - Asriel stated.  
They surely were. But how explain all those things was another, pretty delicate, question. It didn't take long before Asgore showed up too, and he got equally shocked as Toriel when he saw that Chara turned back into a child. But he was also very moved, happy that his other lost child came back. Asgore, Toriel and Asriel spent the entire evening to explain Chara everything that had happened since she poisoned herself with buttercups. Well, everything except the part when Chara had attempted to kill everyone and took Frisk's place to seduce her husband. They just told her that she had been revived in a parallel timeline and was accidently brought in theirs, and that Noelle's magic de-aged her to erase all the bad memories. Chara wasn't dumb, she knew that there was much more to that. But she didn't dare to ask, because she honestly wasn't sure she wanted to know. What she had been told was already too much to digest. Her brother was an adult and the world around changed. It would take time to adapt to all the changes. Toriel and Asgore, on the other hand, decided they would do their best to help Chara and raise her to become a good person. They knew she had her flaws, but it was not something they couldn't work on together.

Two weeks passed since the final battle between Noelle and Chara. Life resumed its normal course. Asgore and Toriel were fullfilling their duty of the king and queen, while helping Chara. Asriel was coming out of his shell and started to go outside more often. He was no longer as uncomfortable around people, while his subjects would always say how goodhearted he was. There was no doubt Asriel would become a very kind and beloved king later. Not much changed for Frisk and Papyrus. They kept being good embassadors and they were as happy together as they've always been. Sans started to work more and to enjoy all the good things life had to offer, instead of constantly fearing the next day. Well, he was still suspicious around Chara, but this aside, he was getting out of his paranoia. Noelle, having realized how she became who she was, found her calling. Noelle decided she'd work in the area of the adoption and foster system. She wasn't yet sure how, but she knew that she wanted to improve it. (Toriel told her that they would work on a plan together.) Noelle wanted to promote the diversity within families and encourage interspecies adoption. She wanted that any child, human or monster, would find a family who'd look at them as someone special. Sam and Piper were just being carefree children. With their both parents in their lives, they had nothing much to worry about. After all, they were only ten. And Gaster… he spent lots of time to reflect on his life after experiencing amnesia. At first, he was having moments of self-directed anger, for the attitude he had displayed towards the twins at the hospital. But eventually, he made the parallel between how he snapped out of his amnesia and how Noelle saved everyone. Gaster realized that despite his distrust in humanity, Sam and Piper would always find their way to his (methaphorical) heart. Even when he didn't remember them and the years together, they managed to show him the best humanity can offer. They offered him kindness and __love__, something only his younger innocent self could expect from humans. The twins could prove to the skeptical person he was that humans could not only be cruel or ill-disposed. This experience someway made their family bond stronger.  
But even though his mind was at peace, Gaster still felt like some part of him was missing since the day he left the hospital. But he couldn't tell why he felt that way. It was with a certain melancholy that he was now walking long the supermarket aisles, distantly picking groceries from the shelves. When the groceries were being scanned at the cash desk, Gaster noticed that he once again picket a box of red jelly dessert powder. __"It's the second time now…"__ \- he mentally noted. Gaster had never been that much fond of jello, so why did it attract him so much lately? He had a little idea of why, but he chased the thought away. __"It's too foolish."__ Picking up the bag of groceries, he walked out of the supermarket and in the direction of his house. Halfay from home, Gaster stopped as something caught his attention. Or rather someone, to be more exact. On a nearby bench, was sitting a too familiar person. He'd know that light purple figure and blonde hair anywhere.  
"Patty..." - he breathed out in surprise.  
Without waiting longer, he walked up to her. He noted that she was wearing her usual PJs and disposable slippers. Patty also was holding the Ralsei plushie in her arms. This could mean only one thing. Gaster spoke up, making the cat monster blench.  
"Patty? Did you... run away from the hospital?"  
Patty looked up to see Gaster stand right in front of her. Her golden eyes rounded, then her momentary shock turned into joy. She smiled widely, revealing the tips of her canines, and said:  
"Gaster... It's you..! It's really you!"  
Gaster noticed there were fresh tearstains on Patty's cheeks. But he had no time to ask about it, as Patty almost jumped on him, wrapping her arms around him. The gesture was so sudden that Gaster almost dropped his groceries.  
"B-be careful..!" - he instructed her.  
"I'm so glad to see you!" - Patty exclaimed - "You have no idea how happy I am now!"  
"Um... Are you alright?" - Gaster asked, looking at her - "Have you been crying? What happened?"  
"I... I ran away... from the hospital." - Patty said with a sadder tone - "I couldn't stay there any longer... I had to get out of there, I had to…"  
"What about you tell me about this at my home?" - Gaster suggested gently.  
Patty looked at him and then nodded slowly. Without thinking, Gaster wrapped his free arm around her, while the other one was holding the bag. It was only when they started walking that Gaster realized his gesture. He wanted to retrieve his arm, but he just couldn't do so when he saw how comfortable Patty looked leaned against him. Luckily, it didn't take long to arrive at Gaster's house. When he unlocked the door, Sam and Piper turned to him and got very surprised looks when they saw Patty being there too. As they asked what happened, Gaster requested the kids to stow the groceries while he'd sink a bath for Patty. He had noticed she'd been shivering, but he wasn't sure if it was due to the cool weather or stress. Either way, Patty needed to relax for a while. While the twins were busy in the kitchen, Gaster found a plum bathrobe in his wardrobe and handed it to the cat monster. Normally, Gaster wasn't the kind of person who'd gladly share his clothes, but he figured he'd make an exception for Patty.  
"Thank you, Gaster." - the cat woman said as she accepted the piece of clothing - "It feels soft, I like it."  
"Glad you do. Now, I'll leave you be." - Gaster said, as he gestured for Patty to enter the bathroom - "You can take your time."  
"I must warn you: sometimes I fall asleep in the bathtub."  
"Please don't do that." - Gaster faked an annoyed look, though Patty saw right through it.  
Gaster then closed the door, and shortly after he heard it to be locked on the other side. He then went down the stairs and walked in the kitchen. Sam and Piper turned to him, and the boy said:  
"We stowed almost everything. There are things we're not sure where to put…"  
"Leave it to me. You've done enough." - Gaster replied gratefully.  
"How is she doing?" - Piper asked - "What happened to her?"  
"She seems better than the moment I found her." - her father answered - "I'll ask Patty what happened after she's done upstairs."  
"Well, I hope it's nothing too bad." - Sam commented.  
"I hope so too." - Gaster replied thoughtfully, then requested - "Now, if you two go play in your room meantime?"  
The kids nodded, then did as their father asked. Gaster stowed the remaining groceries where it belonged, then he sat down for a moment and started to think about some things, notably the changes he noticed in his own behaviour. Thoses changes occured notably around Patty. Gaster has never been the most social person in general, and it usually took him a while to properly bond with new people. And yet, it took less than two weeks for him to befriend Patty. Despite not having always been very nice to her, things have always been pretty easy between them. But why? Why did he wrap his arm around her so naturally earlier? Why was it so okay for him to lend her his clothes? And why did he always care that much if Patty was sad or happy? Those were questions Gaster couldn't easily come up with an answer to. After his long pondering, he decided to boil some water for tea. When he had problems, tea would help him at some degree with body tension. So he concluded that Patty would probably need it too. And again, he caught himself at thinking about her wellbeing as naturally as when it came to Sam and Piper. A few moments, later Gaster heard footsteps near the doorframe. He turned around, to see Patty standing there. She was looking at him with a soft expression, wearing nothing but his plum bathrobe, the ends of her blonde hair wet. Gaster stared at her for a moment, before saying:  
"Didn't fall asleep, I see?"  
"Hehe, not this time..." - Patty replied shyly - "And thank you again, Gaster."  
"You're welcome. Do you want some tea? I'm making some now."  
"Yes, please. Oh, and… is it possible with a bit of cream?"  
Gaster nodded in response, then asked Patty to wait him in the living room. When she went away to sit on the couch, Gaster opened the fridge to pick the cream. It took him one minute or two before he was done with the two cups of tea. After he stirred the sugar cubes into the hot liquid, he walked up to Patty, his hands holding the cups in his hands. He handed Patty the cup meant for her, which she accepted with a smile. Gaster sat down next to her and for a moment, he just looked her savor her tea. Then, he asked:  
"Patty, why did you run away from the hospital?"  
The cat monster didn't answer immediately. She let a short moment pass, before putting her cup down on the coffee table. With a small sigh, she started, without looking at Gaster directly:  
"I... I just couldn't be there all alone anymore… I realized I was deprived of everything that mattered to me… My mind can't think as well as before, and y-…"  
Patty stopped. Gaster looked at her curiously, then he asked:  
"I assume you started to take your pills. Did you willingly?"  
"Yes... I thought that if I took the pills without making a fuss about it, the doctors would allow me out soon." - Patty explained - "After a week or so, I asked when I could go out. The doctor answered they still had to make sure I follow the treatment. The next day I asked the same question again. And then again. But they all kept saying that it was too soon. They didn't get it… I wanted to go out so badly…"  
As she was telling her story, Patty looked very upset. Gaster knew that it took longer than just one week to validate the observations and that the doctors' reluctance was normal, but he kept those thoughts to himself.  
"And so, I decided to escape. Miraculously, I succeeded. But my thinking is slow… I quickly got lost… not knowing where to go… After some time wandering around, I just gave up… Then, you found me."  
"But... why did you want to get free so badly? I mean, it wasn't much of a problem before for you to spend months or years in there. What changed?"  
"What changed is... I knew you."  
A silence follwed the cat's words. Gaster was stunned by what she said, but then he asked:  
"What do you mean..?"  
"Before you left, you told me to rely on my imagination, just like before. But as I spent days in the hospital alone, I realized that imagining you being there with me wasn't enough. I need the real you. That's why ran away from the hospital, I wanted to see you again."  
"Patty, what are you saying..?"  
"What I'm trying to tell you now is that... I love you, Gaster." - Patty confessed, looking straight into his eyes - "And my feelings don't change whether I'm on pills or not."  
Gaster was speechless. He really didn't expect to hear a love confession from Patty. Then, before he could register, Patty leaned to him and kissed him on the mouth. Gaster froze. His SOUL skipped a beat. In the time of a few fractions of seconds, he felt like he was hot and cold at the same time. He lost all ability to think at that moment. When Patty moved her lips against his teeth, he closed his eyes without even realizing it. Then, working on their own accord, his arms wrapped themselves around the woman and pulled her closer to him. Gaster lost himself in the kiss. He started to reciprocate, timidely. Patty soon pulled away, needing to catch her breath.  
"Hehe, sorry if it's a bit random... I just wanted you to know how I feel so badly..." - Patty muttered, blushing hardly - "I didn't even ask you how you feel about me."  
"I... I've never been in love before. And I'm not sure how it's supposed to feel like... But considering that I wasn't repulsed by your kiss and... Well, I've noticed that I don't behave normally when I'm with you. So I suppose that means I... like you __that way__." - Gaster said, his cheekbones getting a red taint at his last words.  
Patty's eyes shone happily at what Gaster just said. He didn't exactly say "I love you", but it was more than enough for her. She was blushing and giggling at the overwhelming feelings. Gaster gave her an amused look, while a light smile on his own formed itself. Patty then looked at him playfully and declared:  
"Never been in love before? Sweet! This means no exes to be jealous of!"  
Gaster couldn't help but chuckle at this. He then wrapped one arm around her to bring her closer. Patty rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of being with him. But she quickly got mischievous, so she raised her head and, before Gaster could ask her what she had to say, kissed him again. Gaster was again surprised, but this time he reacted faster. The two were taking their time to explore the new sensations and didn't even register when Gaster ended up on the top of Patty, who had her head pressed against the soft armrest. But the two got pulled out from the dream-like state of mind, when they heard Sam's voice.  
"'As close as two mental patients can be', huh?" - the boy commented.  
The couple broke the kiss and looked up. They saw Sam and Piper standing on the stairs, with looks of wonder on their faces. Gaster quickly recalled what Sam was referring to. Many days ago, when he was still in the hospital, Sam had asked him how close he and Patty were. So of course Gaster came up with some lame answer.  
"Does that mean Patty's staying with us?" - Piper asked curiously.  
The question caught Gaster a little off guard, but his mind got quickly made up. So he asked his children:  
"Would you mind if she did?"  
"If she makes you happy, of course she can stay!" - Piper replied with a wide grin.  
"I'll have to get used to have a new person in the house but… I'm okay with that." - Sam said with a shrug - "As long as things are cool between us all..."  
Gaster then looked at Patty, took her soft hand in his bony one and asked:  
"What do you say about it, Patty? How about I take care of you from now on?"  
"Please." - was all Patty said, before pulling Gaster into a tight hug.  
The twins grinned at the sight, then went back upstairs. Gaster rested his hands on Patty's shoulders and closed his eyes. Now that she was near him, he realized he felt complete again. True, the new feelings he was experiencing were a bit confusing and unknown, but he'd be glad to learn them, with the pretty cat monster to help him. He would have to contact the hospital and have a long talk with its staff, but that could wait until tomorrow. As he held Patty close, Gaster felt as if his life was only beginning.

* * *

**A/N: ...The end!**

**I'm so glad I could finally share the whole story with you, guys. Now that the main story has been fully published on this site, I'll be able to share all my other one-shots! :D Thank you to anyone who's been reading this story. Special thanks to Dragonsrule18 who's reviewed throughout the story (who's also a good writer and Papyrisk shipper like me)! ^^ **

**Now about Chara's "rebirth". It might seem lame that I saved her too, but the fight between Noelle and Chara was actually directly inspired from the final battle between Emma and Gideon in "Once Upon A Time". In the show, the Savior's sacrifice made Gideon reborn as a baby. Here, I did similarily, only instead of being reborn as a baby, Chara reverted to the point of her life right before she died. How did Noelle's SOUL do that? It's basically because of Noelle's strong desire to save Chara mixed with the magic generated by love, and since she's the Savior, I figured out that she would have the power to sort of "reinitialize" Chara. (Since the Annoying Dog - the God of the universe - can code and uncode things and people, why couldn't Noelle - a Savior - have similar powers in some circumstances?) I could've made Noelle win in a classical way, that is kill off the villain, but that would be boring and it would've contradicted with the message I was trying to communicate with this story. This is why I made Chara experience a rebirth of a sort. **

**And yes, Patty is now Gaster's girlfriend! :D Why give Gaster a love interest, you may ask? Because why not, lol. **


End file.
